Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True
by Jayta
Summary: CHAPTER 40 IS UP! Please continue to read on! R & R for me! Liason fanfic with new characters.
1. Chapter One

1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
1.1  
  
1.2 Chapter One  
  
Elizabeth stifled the sob welling up with in her chest. A sudden breeze displaced a lock of her light brown hair. Her fingers tucked the loose strand behind her ear. Her thoughts were jumbled, few and far between. Elizabeth hugged her knees against her chest, braving herself against the wind and the other tempests that swirled around her that seemed to want to blow her away. She thought sitting by the docks would help clear her mind, get her away from her thoughts, her feelings, but it didn't.  
  
Why! Why is this happening to me?  
  
Lucky had kissed her with so much passion the night he had found her in his bedroom.  
  
He never said a word.  
  
She was reassured of his love as his hands explored her body. She knew his love had returned as he held her in his arms and cooed soothing words of love and forever.  
  
"Were they all just lies?" she asked herself. She had been so sure of herself, of them when she jumped off the boat and rode back into town. Everything was fine. Everything was going to be all right now that Helena was behind bars.  
  
Just fine.  
  
"But they weren't…" her voice trailed off as her mind wandered to memories of them dancing at Kelly's, kissing each other on the docks. She thought about their vows at the church during the blizzard.  
  
She had clung to those promises. Throughout the past two years, during the war of words and deceitful lies, she had held on to those promises Lucky had spoke. Elizabeth clung to the love she held locked away in her heart, put away for safe keeping, until one day Lucky returned and she allowed herself to believe that they would once again share what they had. But his words sung a different tune. "I don't love you Elizabeth. You belong with Nikolas. Go be with Nikolas."  
  
Elizabeth hadn't believed him then. She'd seen the love that remained in his eyes every time she was with him, and the jealously that raged within him if she was found with another man. She'd even had a couple of moments with him where he'd let his guard down, told her that he did love her, cared for her. He told her he didn't understand why he kept hurting her with the words he spoke. Lucky kept telling her to be with Nikolas, but then doing a 180 turnabout and telling her that she belonged with him.  
  
Elizabeth knew even then that he loved her. And after sorting out through Helena's programming, he'd changed. Yes, he wasn't exactly the same. His behavior had changed throughout that ordeal. But he still loved her and she, him.  
  
Now she didn't know what to do. Nikolas and she had planned to rid Lucky of Helena's control. The control that kept Lucky from her. Liz and Lucky thought they had broken free of it because their love was so strong, but they were wrong. Now, Nikolas and Elizabeth knew that would never be. They watched Lucky's behavior change from time to time and knew it was Helena's doing. She had something planned, and Elizabeth and Nikolas had been determined to find out what that was. Unbeknownst to her, it would be the catalyst that destroyed forever the love that they once shared, lost and found again.  
  
"Excuse me?" a girl's voice interrupted her thoughts, "Are you okay?"  
  
Elizabeth felt a shift in weight on the bench where she sat. She hid her face behind her knees, wiping away the tears that somehow had formed against her cheek. "I'm fine," she muffled.  
  
"Are you sure? I mean, I'm sure I could help in someway? Please let me help." The girl's plea was sincere and urgent.  
  
Elizabeth chuckled, she probably thinks I'm going to hurt myself. She chuckled again, a bit louder this time.  
  
"Seriously, are you okay? Can I call someone for you?"  
  
Elizabeth lifted her head and found an Asian girl, she estimated her to be around 21, maybe 23 at the oldest, sitting beside her. She had long black hair and wore a black leather jacket. She put on her best fake smile and told the worried girl, "No. Really. I'm okay."  
  
The girl hesitated. She didn't know if she could believe the blotchy-faced girl or not. "Are you sure?" The girl tried to look straight into Elizabeth's eyes and read her thoughts.  
  
Elizabeth lowered her legs until they met the docks. She took a deep breath and tried to reassure the girl, "Really. I've just got a few things on my mind. I'd just like to be alone please."  
  
The girl looked like she was satisfied by Elizabeth's answer. "Okay. I'm sorry to bother you like that. It just seemed like you …you were hurt and I thought maybe I could help?" She went to get up but Elizabeth stopped her.  
  
"I was…am hurt. And I'm grateful that you did stop and wanted to help. Really. I just don't think that this is something I'm willing to share with, well, someone I don't know. Or even someone I do know." Elizabeth's hand was on the girl's arm. "Thank you for caring." She felt the tears welling up in her eyes.  
  
No! She was not going to do this in front of a total stranger. She wouldn't.  
  
"Well, what else could I do?" she shrugged. "I'm Jaime." She held out her hand and in it was a tissue.  
  
Elizabeth took it gratefully. "Elizabeth. Thanks," she mumbled.  
  
Jaime watched as the girl wiped the threatening tears in her eyes. "Well, I don't want to overstay my welcome," she hedged, "I'm glad to have met you Elizabeth…"  
  
Elizabeth finished the girl's thought, "Webber. Elizabeth Webber." She held out her hand.  
  
Grasping the newfound friend's hand, she smiled, "And I'm Jaime Nam."  
  
"Well, nice to meet you too." Elizabeth smiled and watched the girl get up from the bench. "Maybe I'll see you around?" she offered.  
  
"Maybe!" Jaime smiled.  
  
***  
  
Elizabeth looked through the stacks of mail that had compiled at the feet of her studio door. Unlocking the door, she threw her backpack on the couch and slumped down on the couch. Bill, bill, bill, college…  
  
She had forgotten in all the events of the past months that she had informed the college that she would be coming back next semester. She opened the envelope that contained a semester schedule and application forms to reenter the college. Elizabeth closed her eyes and laid the papers down. She had been anxious to apply because she knew that she wanted to start school right after Lucky and she finished honeymooning in the Caribbean. Honeymooning…that was the last thing she wanted to be thinking about right now.  
  
Knock. Knock.  
  
"Who is it?" she asked, getting up from the couch to open the door.  
  
"It's me. Lucky," a voice trailed off on the other side of the door.  
  
Elizabeth panicked. She felt the uncertainty of the situation well up inside of her. What is he doing here? I don't want to talk to him right now! God! What am I supposed to say? How are you? How's life? All these questions flew through her mind as she went to answer the door. "Uh, hi," she whispered as she opened the door a crack.  
  
Lucky let himself in. He had to set Elizabeth straight. It wasn't his fault. He was going to marry her. He would have if Gia hadn't open her big fat mouth or if Nik hadn't either for that matter. "Elizabeth, how are you?" he asked. He needed to start out slowly. Feel out how Elizabeth's thoughts were at that moment.  
  
"Fine," she forcefully smiled. Plaster on a smile. If it will get rid of him faster.  
  
"You don't have to pretend Elizabeth. I know I've hurt you bad. Real bad. Let me make it up to you. Please!" Lucky pleaded.  
  
"Make up for what? Not loving me?" Elizabeth asked. She covered her mouth with her hand, and then slowly lowered it. She wasn't sorry for it. She wasn't going to apologize for being angry. Not this time.  
  
Lucky stood there stunned. He didn't know what to say. Slowly he began to respond, "Elizabeth, you know I love you. I…it's…it's just that I somehow don't really know that." He was fumbling with the words.  
  
What is it he's trying to say? How can he make her understand? He was in pain too!  
  
"Thanks. I hadn't heard that explanation," she said dourly. "Are we done yet? I thought I'd left you a note and told you I need to be alone for awhile?"  
  
"Yeah, I know you did. But Elizabeth, we have to work this out. I can love you again. I will love you again!" he pleaded.  
  
She'd heard enough. Her heart couldn't take much more of this. How much more was she expected to understand? Elizabeth understood that Helena controlled him. She understood that Nikolas took the chance of wiping out his memory so that maybe one day Lucky would be safe. They had talked about that. Elizabeth pledged her everlasting love to him, gave him her first time, promising to be by his side because she knew deep down that he loved her. He'd just forgotten that part. And when she sacrificed herself, willing to risk the chance that the drug she took to fool Helena would or might kill her, she loved him. She had loved him through all of that. Knowing that because of that, there would be a payoff. Elizabeth bet the barrel and she came up empty-handed. She had lost him. Again the tears flooded over her and she couldn't handle it. She couldn't handle losing him again.  
  
"Enough! Please leave!" she sobbed.  
  
Lucky watched her body tremble, her body collapse upon itself. He moved to hold her, to comfort her. She shoved him away.  
  
"God! Just leave!" she screamed.  
  
He backed away, mortified at the pain he'd caused, angry with the woman who had caused it all. Lucky loathed Helena. And he would make her pay. He would make her pay dearly!  
  
*** 


	2. two

1.1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
  
  
2 Chapter Two  
  
Jaime came down the stairs of the quaint coffee shop called Kelly's she had found after her encounter with Elizabeth. She sat down on one of the stools and took in the wonderful small town atmosphere. Jaime would definitely enjoy living here. If the sights, sounds and people were as beautiful and as nice as she'd already seen and met.  
  
Definitely.  
  
"What can I get for you honey?" Tammy asked.  
  
"Um, maybe a blueberry muffin to go and a coffee?" she answered. Jaime wanted to see more of the town and find the cool spots to hang. As she waited, Jaime swung the stool around and faced the windows. Ah, it was a beautiful winter morning out. She'd bundled up in a warm winter jacket and a colorful red, green, blue, and yellow scarf her grandmother had made for a Christmas present for her this year.  
  
"Here you go!" Tammy smiled, and handed her the small brown bag and styrofoam cup full of steaming black coffee.  
  
"Hmmmm, smells good Tammy!" Jaime replied, peeking in the brown bag. "Hey, Tammy! Do you know of any spots to just hang out and eat a wonderful blueberry muffin and drink nice hot coffee?"  
  
"Um, you may try the park, since it's so gorgeous outside today. I would be there myself if I didn't have to work!" Tammy groaned.  
  
"Uh, thanks!" Jamie replied, and waved goodbye as she walked out the door.  
  
Just as she walked out the door, someone came strolling in and accidentally bumped into Jaime and spilled the piping hot coffee all over her winter jacket. Jaime backed away, trying to wipe most of the coffee off of her coat. She mopped most of it up with the napkin Tammy had put in the bag. "Hey! Watch where you're going!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Lucky apologized. It seemed nothing he did was right. Now he was spilling coffee over perfect strangers.  
  
Jaime looked up at the bewildered boy. "No, it's fine! Never mind! I wasn't watching where I was going either!" she replied dismissively, "Did I get any coffee on you?"  
  
Lucky looked at his jacket, "No," he answered, "No such luck!"  
  
What a weird reply? "Well, okay then. I guess that's that. Bye!" Jaime waved goodbye at the odd boy and headed to the park she'd heard about! What else will the day bring?  
  
***  
  
Lucky entered the coffee shop in a lousy mood. First the fight with Elizabeth where he left her sobbing on the floor, and now he spilt coffee on an innocent bystander, what else could go wrong.  
  
"Hey Lucky!" a familiar voice called him.  
  
"What do you want Nikolas?" he growled. Lucky didn't want to talk to one of the reasons his life was so messed up and why he had hurt Elizabeth.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you," Nikolas explained, "about Elizabeth and how to get her back. I know you don't want to hear this, but I want to help you."  
  
"Haven't you helped me enough?" Lucky replied sarcastically. "I mean, helping me fall out of love with the one woman I ever cared about is about enough help as I can take right now."  
  
"Look, I know it's my fault!" Nikolas apologized, "That's why I need to help you. I need to make it up to you."  
  
"No! I want you to stay as far away from me as possible. I want nothing to do with you or your family. You destroy everything you touch!" Lucky shouted.  
  
"You don't….you don't mean that Lucky," Nikolas frowned. How could he say that? Nikolas felt awful about what he had done, but it had the only way to save him. Hadn't it?  
  
"Just stay away from me!" Lucky warned.  
  
"What happened Lucky? Why are you so mad?" Nikolas asked worried.  
  
"Nothing! Nothing at all! Just because Elizabeth doesn't want to see me and when I went to see her anyway, she ended up in a sobbing mess on the floor, why should I be mad? There was a time I would have murdered the person who did that to her, except this time it was me!" Lucky shouted.  
  
"I'm sorry Lucky. Let me see if I can talk to her. Let me help to explain!" Nikolas pleaded, hoping Lucky would allow him to rectify some of the damage his Grandmother had wrought.  
  
"No, stay away from me," Lucky sighed, "and stay away from Elizabeth. You and Gia!"  
  
"You don't mean that," Nikolas cried, "You don't mean that! I mean, I'm your brother. I'm sooooo sorry Lucky! I'm sooo sorry!"  
  
Lucky just walked away. He was too tired to be angry anymore. All he felt for Nikolas was disgust. He almost hated him. But he knew it wasn't entirely Nik's fault. The truth had come out. Something Lucky had tried to hide from Elizabeth. How many times did he swear that he would never lie to Elizabeth? How many times had he sworn he would never do what his mother and father did, to their relationship? But he was doomed to repeat history wasn't he? He could have told her the truth. He could have told her it hadn't come back yet and she would have understood. She would have worked it out with him, made the love come back. Wouldn't she have?  
  
Now he'll never know. The girl he had once helped heal from a battered and bruised body, mind, and spirit with his love was now aching. Elizabeth, who had loved him with all her heart, had been shattered into a million pieces. How was Nikolas supposed to fix that? How was he supposed to forgive himself for that?  
  
How would he make anyone understand that?  
  
*** 


	3. three

Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Jaime sat on a park bench in the serene warmth of the sun. It had been a quiet morning with the exception of the coffee incident with that odd boy. It wasn't that he was necessarily odd, but there was something about him that seemed off. He was deeply troubled and frustrated.  
  
Jamie hated when people were hurt or depressed. She had practically lived half of her life depressed or hurt or angry. Jaime didn't want others to ever have to go through what she went through. But one day, a miracle happened and she found a light to hold on to in the darkest of days.  
  
God had never been introduced into her life until one day, an older gentleman saw her crying in the park. Almost on a day just like this. He told her of a God that loved her and died for her. He told her of a man that was God and he died on the cross for all the horrible sins that she had committed in her life. Jaime was cynical as a lot of people were in these days, but something…there was just something about that guy and about the story. She found herself spilling out her innerrmost thoughts to this man, a man she hardly even knew. Jaime told him of her depressions, which started at the age of 12. How she'd taken all the drugs the doctors gave her and still she didn't ever feel right. Either she felt more depressed than she was at the start or she felt just numb.  
  
The gentleman introduced himself as Gabe and told her that she would be healed, made whole if she just gave her life to Jesus Christ. Crazy, she had thought, but now she was living proof that He was the Light and that there was something actually missing in her life. Jaime now felt whole.  
  
All these thoughts ran through her head as she bathed in the light of the sun.  
  
It's so beautiful.  
  
"Jaime? That's your name right?" a voice asked.  
  
Jamie turned and saw Elizabeth standing to the right of her.  
  
"Yeah, and it's Elizabeth, right?"  
  
"Yeah," she nodded, "I'm sorry to intrude, I mean, I didn't mean to bother you. I just saw you sitting her and wanted to say "hello!"" Elizabeth started to walk away.  
  
"Hey! Uh, do you want to sit down for a sec?" Jaime asked, patting a place on the bench.  
  
"Um, sure!" Elizabeth sat down beside Jaime.  
  
"So how are you?" Jaime inquired.  
  
Elizabeth hesitated for a moment, "I'm doing …fine" she said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.  
  
"Are you sure?" Jaime paused for a moment, "You must be getting tired of hearing that question from me or anyone else!" Jaime chuckled.  
  
"Um, kind of! Yeah!" Elizabeth laughed too.  
  
Jaime racked her brain for some other topic. "Um, so how long have you lived in Port Charles?"  
  
"Um, hmmm, let me think? Lucky's been back oh, for about 2 years…" her voice trailed off.  
  
"Is there something wrong?" Jaime watched Elizabeth as her face paled.  
  
Elizabeth seemed a little side tracked, "Uh, what? Oh, sorry. I kind of zoned out for a moment. I was thinking of someone."  
  
"Uh, you mean, Lucky?"  
  
"How do you know Lucky?" Elizabeth exclaimed.  
  
"Um, I don't? I just heard you say his name…Are you sure you're all right?" Jaime asked.  
  
"Uh, yeah. It's just…"  
  
"It's just what?" Jamie hoped she wasn't prying.  
  
"Um, nothing. Really. Look, I'd better get going. I have some errands to run. It's been nice talking to you. Maybe I'll run into you again?" Elizabeth got up to leave.  
  
"Yeah, sure! I'm sorry if I pried. I didn't mean to butt my nose in where it didn't belong." Jamie apologized.  
  
"No…." Elizabeth exclaimed, "it wasn't you! I just have to deal with some stuff right now. You weren't prying. Really."  
  
"Okay, then you're sure you're okay?" Jaime asked.  
  
"Definitely." Elizabeth forced a smile.  
  
"I hate to be blunt, but you don't look okay. And the smile, well it seems like a façade." Jaime cringed and waited for Elizabeth to defend herself. She'd often say things too bluntly and receive a barrage of words from the victim.  
  
"…Uh," Elizabeth was flustered, "I'm fine. What do you mean?"  
  
"You know how people put on masks so that they don't show how they're really feeling. Either to make the other person feel comfortable or so that they'll go way faster? That's what it seems like with you."  
  
"Oh!" Elizabeth looked speechless.  
  
"Have I put my foot in it?" Jaime asked worriedly.  
  
"No." Elizabeth paused for a second and continued on, "I, well, Lucky was my fiancee. I called it off because well, he doesn't love me and he lied and said that he did."  
  
"Oh my gosh! That's terrible! How could he do that to you?" Jaime was disgusted and felt for Elizabeth.  
  
"Oh, it wasn't all so cut and dry. I mean, We'd been together forever, it seems. I mean, well, the short version is, that he did love me once and then someone brainwashed him into not loving me."  
  
Jamie did a double take. "Could you say that again? I don't think I heard right, did you say brainwashed him?"  
  
"Yeah. It's a long story. With so many twists and turns that it makes my head spin. I don't think I could go through it all right now." Elizabeth sighed, " Look, I'm sorry to lay all this on you. I seem to have a habit of doing that. Laying my problems at other people's feet, hoping they can fix them. I've really got to stop doing that."  
  
"No! I don't mind," Jaime exclaimed, "I think you're my first friend here in Port Charles, and if I can help you in anyway. You know, like listening whenever you need it? That's what friends are for. Not that I'm sure you need it, but I'm still here if you need an objective ear. I mean, I don't know anything about you or Lucky and this whole brainwashing bit, but I'm a good listener. Friends have told me that much!"  
  
"Maybe I'll take you up on that offer sometime!" Elizabeth chuckled. "But right now, I think I need to sort things out in my own head first, before hearing what other people think?"  
  
"Sure! I'm staying at a place called Kelly's. It's a nice little coffee shop. If you happen to drop by sometime, just ask the owner for which room I'm in."  
  
"Kelly's?" Elizabeth laughed, "I used to work there…actually I used to live there!"  
  
"Really!" Jaime joined Elizabeth laughing, "Maybe I'll really see you around then!"  
  
***  
  
Elizabeth walked away from her walk in the park with a light-heartedness that she hadn't felt for a few days now. Jaime was nice. She listened and she was objective.  
  
Everyone else in town didn't quite understand. She knew they understood about the brainwashing and the whole Cassadine fiasco, but they didn't understand what she was feeling. They all felt sorry about it, as she'd heard a million times over the past couple of days, but they all still hoped and prayed that she and Lucky would find their way back to each other. They knew that she and Lucky belonged together.  
  
Boy, how many times had she heard that in the past?  
  
Emily had told that to her a million times and she believed her. Elizabeth believed that she and Lucky were fated to live happily ever after together and grow old together. How she wished Em was here right now. But how could she understand? Elizabeth had seen Zander a couple of days ago and he told her that Em had found another guy and that the love that she felt for him was gone.  
  
It boggled Elizabeth's mind! This was the same Emily who left her family, endured the trials and the tribulations and the death threats of mobsters to be with Zander! It didn't make sense! It just didn't. She understood what Zander was feeling. He felt betrayed, angry, lost, alone, these were all of the things that she was feeling in the span of a moment.  
  
Elizabeth had felt the devastation at the altar, when she looked into Lucky's eyes trying to find that spark of love, she had always been able to find-even in the tough times. But it was dull, the look in his eyes were of sadness and despair. Was that what he was feeling? Did he feel sad that he was going to have to spend the rest of his life with her? Did he feel despair, like there was no way out?  
  
"No!" she exclaimed to herself. Elizabeth shook her head. She was finally feeling okay. Not hurt anymore, not betrayed. She finally just "understood". Elizabeth wasn't going to wallow in self-pity. She was stronger than that.  
  
"No, I'm okay. I'll live without Lucky. I did once, I'll do it again," she mumbled to herself. 


	4. four

1.1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
2 Chapter Four  
  
"Hey Elizabeth!" Lucky's voice sounded over the quiet chirping of the birds.  
  
Elizabeth turned around to find Lucky running towards her. She felt numb. How does he find me? Can't he understand that I want to be alone?  
  
"Elizabeth, stop!" Lucky watched as Elizabeth had continued to walk away from him. He slowed down to a crawl. She didn't stop.  
  
Man, Lucky thought, how would he ever make this up to her? There had to be some way to convince Elizabeth that he could love her again." Lucky walked away, scheming to find a way to rekindle the love that they once shared.  
  
***  
  
Nikolas had been sitting at Kelly's for about an hour now. Where's Elizabeth? He wondered. He had to talk to her. Convince Elizabeth to give Lucky a second chance.  
  
The chime on the door rang and as he looked up from his cup of coffee, he saw Elizabeth shaking off the snow that had begun to fall in the past 15 minutes. Nikolas knew she saw him as she looked up after brushing off the snow on her coat. She hesitated before heading toward the counter.  
  
"Hey Tammy? Can I get a coffee and a piece of your amazing pecan pie?" she asked as she sat down at the counter.  
  
Nikolas took a deep breath. This could be his only chance to convince her to speak with Lucky. This could be his only chance to make up for the damage his entire family had incurred on two of the most important people in his life.  
  
"Elizabeth?" Nikolas spoke, hesitating on how to bring up the subject she no doubt had thought about for the past week.  
  
"Nikolas?" her voice mocked him, "I don't want to talk about what you're going to talk to me about."  
  
"Just let me get this off my chest and I promise I won't mention it again. Promise!" Nikolas crossed his chest where his heart thudded at the idea of really actually fixing things.  
  
"Fine. Talk. You've got until I finish the coffee and pie." Elizabeth sighed, as she gratefully accepted the distraction of eating the pie and drinking coffee Tammy served her.  
  
"Look, Lucky loves you." He paused, picking his words out carefully. "He adores you. You knew when we started this whole plan that we were dealing with my grandmother, who's a psychopath. You told me we would do anything to keep Lucky safe. Right?" Nikolas waited for agreement from Elizabeth.  
  
"Yeah, I suppose I did." Elizabeth nodded sipping her coffee.  
  
"Well, you know that we thought my grandmother was on to me and so I happened to do something that would convince her that I wanted you. I got her to brainwash Lucky into forgetting everything he knew about you or loved about you. She made him forget to love you."  
  
"Nik, I already know all of this. How has this changed? Lucky is different. Lucky doesn't love me anymore. How many more times am I supposed to understand this and make other people understand this. I know it's not his fault. I know your evil grandmother did this to him. It doesn't change the feelings he has…or doesn't have for me." Elizabeth shook her head. How many times? How many times does it take for people to understand what she finally understood the night of her supposed wedding?  
  
"Look, Elizabeth, I know you know all of that, but what you don't know is how much Lucky doesn't want to marry you because of pity. He wants to marry you because he cares for you and he wants to make up for all the hurt he's caused you. He wants a second chance at making things the way they should have been." Nikolas's eyes pleaded with Elizabeth to understand.  
  
"He doesn't pity me? Are you kidding? What was that whole wedding thing about? What was the whole idea of lying to me about his feelings coming back? He doesn't pity me? If he doesn't pity me, why would he marry me when he doesn't love me?" Elizabeth controlled her anger and cynicism as she whispered her thoughts to Nikolas. "I don't have to marry a person who doesn't love me. I deserve to marry a man who is completely infatuated with me and doesn't have to remind himself everyday that he does love me."  
  
Nikolas's hand wiped his furrowed brow and lingered over his mouth in frustration. "But he does love you. It's just his brain isn't letting him comprehend his feelings. It isn't letting him link the memories he has of you with his feelings of love for you."  
  
Elizabeth finished the last piece of the pecan pie she had been picking at while Nikolas continued to explain away the hurt she felt when Lucky lied to her about his feelings. "Nikolas, listen to me. I understand that Lucky once loved me and the thought of his love coming back just like it did the first time haunts my dreams, but I can't wait for that day anymore. It just isn't about that anymore, whether his love is there or not. Lucky doesn't know me anymore. It dawned on me the morning I left Laura's house that he doesn't know me. He didn't know that I would be furious that he lied to me about really loving me. He didn't even think about how unfair it was to me to sleep with me the night he found me in his room; unfortunate for me to assume that meant he loved me again and everything was okay. You know, I'm not even sad about him not loving me anymore? I am angry at what he did to me. All of those people sitting in Laura's house, watching me pledge my undying love to him; all the while he was probably gritting his teeth trying to get through it." Elizabeth paused to take a breath, "You don't know what I'm feeling."  
  
"I know I don't know, but I do know you guys deserve a second chance!" Nikolas exclaimed.  
  
"We had a second chance…it just wasn't meant to be." Elizabeth smiled wistfully and left money on the counter for her coffee and pie. "Nikolas, it's all right. It's not your fault. I am strong and I've been through worse than this. I'll get through it. I'm getting through it." Elizabeth patted Nikolas on the chest and gave him a hug.  
  
"Please Elizabeth," Nikolas cried, "don't let it end like this."  
  
Elizabeth turned as she was headed out the door, "Nikolas, it already has ended. It ended the night Helena told Lucky that he didn't love me."  
  
Nikolas watched Elizabeth walk out the door, the strength that held him up suddenly evaporated and he slumped down on the stool where Elizabeth had sat.  
  
*** 


	5. five

1.1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
  
  
2 Chapter Five  
  
Elizabeth walked down towards the docks as she thought over what Nikolas had said the other night. Should I give him another chance? She contemplated this as she found herself once again on the docks that she shared with Lucky. Everywhere she went reminded her of Lucky. Kelly's was the first place she danced with Lucky. The dock was where she and Lucky had run away to for shelter. Is there nowhere she could go without having to think about Lucky? Apparently not, she thought to herself as she looked up to find Lucky's blue eyes staring back at her.  
  
"Elizabeth, we need to talk!" he whispered.  
  
"All right…" she whispered. She sat down on the bench near by.  
  
Shock was on Lucky's face as he sat down next to her. "Um, I didn't think you'd be willing to talk to me."  
  
"I think it's time. We need to settle this." Elizabeth felt unusually calm.  
  
"Well, I want to apologize for lying to you, for making you think that my feelings had returned."  
  
"Okay, apology accepted." Elizabeth fidgeted as she felt him move closer to her. "Stop!" she said. Getting physically close to him would just cloud her feelings and make it harder to say what she needed to say, "I think you're close enough."  
  
"All right." Lucky backed off, keeping arms length between himself and Elizabeth.  
  
"Lucky, I think we need to end this." Elizabeth motioned her arms between the two of them.  
  
"What?" Lucky exclaimed.  
  
"I think we need to put some distance between the both of us."  
  
"No! Elizabeth, we need to spend some time together. Get to know each other again. We need to see if the love we once shared can be brought back. I know it can…" his voice trailed off and with it the conviction he felt.  
  
"Lucky, we've been forcing this so long. I can't even remember the last time we had a normal conversation about just about anything. Like school, or what concerts are coming into town."  
  
Lucky didn't know what to say. He hadn't expected the conversation to take a turn in this direction. "It's been hard and things that never happen have happened, but it's over now. We can take this time to get to know each other again."  
  
"Maybe." Elizabeth got up and walked towards the edge of the docks, "I don't know if I want that."  
  
"What do you mean?" Lucky asked, walking up behind Elizabeth. He risked putting his arms around her, staying the cold of the water from seeping into her.  
  
Elizabeth melted in his arms. It would be so easy…Elizabeth thought, but she pulled out of the embrace. "Lucky, I keep imagining the love we once had. The relationship we built on trust and love was lost the night I thought you had died. I held you forever in my heart. I froze that span of time where everything you and I had was perfect, I locked it away. Then you came back and you told me you didn't love me. I thought that it couldn't be, it was all lies. And like a dream come true in some sense, it was a lie. You did love me, you just couldn't remember it because of Helena. But once you remembered and were what we thought, out of Helena's control, I thought everything would be the same. We would continue the dreams we had, the life we had. But you had changed. I didn't want to admit it, but you weren't the same Lucky that dreamed with me about New York and our life there. But when we found that changes couldn't extinguish the love we had we created something new out of the old. We fell in love again."  
  
Lucky's face tightened at the memories of the past year and a half. They had fallen in love again, found something new and exciting. He knew that, but it didn't register as love. He knew in his heart it was love, but didn't feel it. "Elizabeth, I know." He painfully agreed, "And now I've lost it again. So can't we do what we did before? Find it again, find something new in the old?" He moved closer to her, taking each hand in his. He made her look into his eyes. Lucky wanted her to see that he could love her again.  
  
Elizabeth struggled with her words, the emotions she thought she had run out of floating to the surface. She wiped away the tears in her eyes, "I can't go through that again. Don't you think I want that? I want to believe that you really could fall in love with me again. But I don't want that. I don't want you to fall in love with me again. Why should I have to wait for you to fall in love with me again? It's not something you work for. Don't you think it's odd that it's so easy for Helena to make you forget me and our love?" Elizabeth took a breath and calmed the rising anger that welled up inside her.  
  
"Our love is strong. We found our way back to each other didn't we? We defeated Helena because our love was so strong!" Lucky defended.  
  
"You know that's what I thought, but the more I think about it, the less it makes sense. It doesn't make sense that we had to go through all of this. I think it did test our love, but it didn't end up the way we had planned. Lucky, I changed when you were gone, when you died. But when you came back, all the love we had came flooding back, it was a miracle that God had granted me. You don't know how many times I prayed for that." She paused trying to think of what she was actually trying to say and how to make Lucky understand what she so long had denied. "Lucky, you know how we never fought over things. We never disagreed about anything because we were so in love? You know how we had the "same dreams "about the modeling career and you the photography career? And when Jason came back…"her voice trailed off for a moment, "when Jason came back…"  
  
Lucky interrupted her, "When Jason came back he tried to destroy us!" Lucky dropped her hands.  
  
"No Lucky…" she whispered.  
  
"Yes!" he screamed, "I know I said all was forgotten, but because of him I lost my trust in you. He made you betray me! Because of him, you argued with me every chance you got. You defended him over and over again. To what end? He beat me and that's when you saw the truth about him. It nearly destroyed us. But," he paused, controlling the rage he felt over what Jason had done to him, "he left and we were fine. Isn't that proof enough that he was trying to destroy us? When he left, our problems left with him." Lucky pointed out into the distance.  
  
"No, Lucky. It wasn't him. It wasn't because of him we fought. He may have been the excuse we used to fight, but only because he pointed out things in our relationship that didn't make sense. We fought because there were things in our relationship that didn't make sense to him and when I talked to him I thought the same things. All of the things he said," Elizabeth sighed, " made me think about how you were acting. It made me see the differences in you that I tried to ignore. I mean, I had to ignore them, because if I didn't, you wouldn't be the man I loved and that would be spitting in the face of God and his gift of bringing you back to me. But Jason reminded me of the strength I had found after you died. He made me confront the fact that you had changed, whether it was because of the time away or because of Helena doing the things she did to you, you changed Lucky, to a person I had to get to know again. To a person I had to fall in love with again. I haven't been honest, we haven't been honest, Lucky there were so many times in my life that I've wanted to scream at you for and tell you to stop telling me what to think or feel." Elizabeth walked away, wrapping her arms around her.  
  
Lucky stopped her, pulling her towards him. "I never told you how to feel. Don't say that!"  
  
"Lucky," she sighed, frustrated at the way he kept interrupting her, "yes! You did. You didn't know that you were doing it, heck I didn't know you were doing it, until Jason came back into the picture. Do you remember the way you kept ordering me to stop seeing him? Do you realize how dictatorial you sounded? You put the whole of our love on hold. You almost threw it away, because I wouldn't stop seeing my friend Jason. Was that how much our love meant to you? Did you feel that insecure about how much I loved you? But, for you I promised to stay away," she pointed out.  
  
"Yes, you promised, but you didn't keep those promises!" he flung back in accusation.  
  
"You're right I didn't. But you know why? Because all the reasoning in the world that you gave to me and that I made up didn't make sense, none of it. I didn't understand why I should give up one of my best friends because what? You thought I was going to be tricked into falling for him? I asked myself a million times, why did we have to be the be all and end all to each other? Why did our love have to mean that every waking second was going to be spent either with each other, thinking of each other or planning to do something with each other? Jason said that that wasn't what love was. Love wasn't always knowing where the other person was or worrying about whom they were with or who they saw. You once told me how much trust meant to you, and how you knew I was the only who wouldn't lie to you. I used to be that person Lucky, but you know why I betrayed you? I finally figured it out. It was because you didn't trust me."  
  
Lucky backed away. "Now you're blaming me for your lies? I don't believe it. He really did brainwash you when I was gone! And somehow I was supposed to consider him a friend? Trust him?"  
  
Elizabeth sighed, "Lucky you're not getting it. You didn't trust me. I wouldn't have lied to you. It wouldn't really have been a lie, if you didn't have to know everything I was doing or why. I tried to shelter you, protect you from the relationship I had with Jason. I was convinced that you couldn't understand it. Maybe it was wrong of me, but somehow, I still believe that it was the right thing to do." Elizabeth threw her hands up in frustration, "I mean, you don't even get it now! After all this time, after all I've done to prove my love, you still don't trust me to have a guy as a friend. Jason was my FRIEND! That was it. He listened to me go on and on about you."  
  
"Yeah, but all that time it was a ploy Elizabeth!" he cried exasperated. "He was using that to let you get near him. He made you think you could trust him, but all that time he wanted you in the sheets!"  
  
Elizabeth turned to face him, and she slapped him square on the cheek. "Don't say that. The more I listen to you and remember all of the things you've done under Helena's control, the more I believe that you did attack Jason and he was defending himself. Lucky," she spoke controlling the anger in her voice, "we've got to end this." She looked at Lucky, he looked hurt, stunned, angry all at the same time.  
  
"Don't do this Elizabeth!"  
  
"Do what Lucky? End something that is doomed? I can't go on like this. You're hurting and I'm hurting. Where is the love in all of this?" She backed away, heading for the stairs.  
  
"Elizabeth!" he cried, "I'm not giving up on you! On us! Just like you never gave up. Now it's my turn to save us!"  
  
Elizabeth turned and looked at Lucky from the top of the stairs, "Lucky, for you to save us, would take a miracle. And we both know we've used up too many of those already. Why not let a couple who're meant to be have one?" 


	6. six

Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
  
  
1 Chapter Six  
  
Jaime walked along the dock edge staring into the vast darkness of the night. Oh how she loved watching the stars twinkling, on a crisp cool night such as this. Smell that fresh air! It's soooo amazing! I love Port Charles!  
  
How could she have ever lived anywhere else? Her family moved a lot, from city to city, going where the business was. How she was soooo glad to be out of that. Her dad had been a self-made man building the "family business". Why did he never think that she would want out? But luckily, her mother had gotten her out of that mess by having a son, actually two. I could never live like that, thought Jaime.  
  
"Nam isn't it?" a low creepy voice smirked.  
  
Jaime turned around and found a tall man, brown hair, blue eyes, and goatee standing on the boardwalk. "Rosco!" she exclaimed trying to keep her composure. She chuckled. She'd never thought she'd see his face in Port Charles. "Now what are you doing in such a little town like this? Oh, yeah! You ever really were the type for "big business"."  
  
"Cute Jaime! You still open your mouth before you think! It's nice to know things haven't changed that much since last I saw you!" he chuckled, holding that smirk on his face.  
  
"Well, I figure sometimes you can't change perfection!" she threw back sarcastically. "So since Sorel's a goner, you've decided you're grown up enough to take over!" Jaime laughed. "Wow, a little boy like you is ready to take over the big bad Sorel's territory?" Her condescending tone meant to irritate the large man.  
  
"Enough!" he said quietly and controlled. "Don't take me for granted Jaime! I am as big and as bad as Sorel any day! Don't test me!" he threatened, his shadow looming over her. He reached out to grab her, but Jaime quickly got a hold of his wrist and twisted it behind him, putting pressure on the crux of wrist.  
  
"Ah, ah! Now, now Rosco! Getting violent won't solve anything. Besides, did you really thing I'd let you grab me? I couldn't let your grubby paws dirty my leather jacket. You forget easily, I was taught self-defense. Like my father would ever let me out of the house before I could defend myself." Jaime mocked, taunting Rosco as he tried to release himself from the hold. "Now Rosco, if you'd stop moving I would stop having to hurt you like this!" And as she said that, she put hard pressure on his twisted arm. "Now say uncle!"  
  
Jaime watched as Rosco's face grimaced. It was taking a lot of effort for him to just say one word, thought Jaime with a smile.  
  
"Uncle!" he whispered menacingly.  
  
"What? What was that Rosco? I couldn't really hear it!" she smirked.  
  
"Uncle!" he shouted. He let out a rush of air, taking a deep breath as she let go of arm. Rosco jerked back facing Jaime, rubbing his throbbing wrist. "Don't think that's ever going to happen again!" he spat.  
  
"Oh, I have no doubt that's not going to happen again Rosco. Cuz I know you're not that stupid!" she warned, "Right?"  
  
He laughed, like someone who was ahead of you in a chess game. Jaime turned around. There were two big enforcers standing behind her. She moved to leave, but was subdued by the monsterous lumps of tissue. "Let me go!" she shouted vehemently. Her five foot five frame didn't hold up against the two six foot seven men. Her feet dangled as they lifted her up in the air.  
  
"What was that you were saying?" Rosco asked with a twinkle in his eye.  
  
"You heard me Rosco!" she warned, "I have no doubt that my father would tear your little territory apart for this dishonor!" Jaime laughed to herself. Boy did she just sound like her father! Something she never thought she'd say.  
  
"Oh really?" he spat, "Well, I think he would understand after the "attack" that just happened!"  
  
"Are you really that stupid? Have you learned nothing while working with Sorel? Or if not anything, then at least learning from his stupid mistakes?"  
  
"Oh! Please tell me!" he sneered.  
  
"Never underestimate your adversary! And it would be wise if you listened to me Rosco. My father has been in this business longer than you can count on your fingers and toes. He's never lost face to two-bit protection thugs," she paused to let it sink in, all the while trying to keep her pulse from racing, "And do you think he's going to let that happen now?"  
  
Rosco seemed to ponder this for a second and laughed. "I'll let you go, for now!" His head jerked in a sign for the two stupid goons to let her go.  
  
"Rosco, if you ever do that again!" she warned, "I will have my father dismantle this little territory piece by piece!"  
  
"Now's not the time to threaten little girl! I still can change my mind."  
  
"Well, it's nice to know that you aren't man enough to take me on by yourself. I'll keep that in mind. Along with this disrespect that you have shown me."  
  
"I'm keeping an eye on you Jaime, don't think you can throw threats around here.  
  
Jaime swallowed hard, "And don't think you can either! I know you're not the big man around this territory. You're just a little fish in the sea. This is Corinthos' territory. I'm sure he'd find it interesting to find you shaking down an innocent girl like me. I hear he's quite the gentleman with the ladies." She hoped this threat would ward him off.  
  
He laughed. "Corinthos is the past. I'm the future! He's going down!" Rosco boasted  
  
"Is that on or off the record? I'm sure he'd find it amusing!" Jaime threatened.  
  
"Look!" he growled, "You better stay out of my way! And if I find you wandering around down here again, I can't be held responsible for the things that happen in the dark" he leered.  
  
"Don't threaten me Rosco," she yawned, "if anything ever happened to me, you'd have the whole Nam family hunting you down. I'm getting a little tired of this "heart to heart". I'm leaving."  
  
"Fine! It was good seeing you again!" Rosco laughed.  
  
"Yeah, I hope not to see you again anytime soon!" Jaime mumbled. She walked up the stairs with an uneasy feeling about seeing Rosco again. I came here to get away from all of this!  
  
***  
  
Nikolas walked down the sidewalk his mind still caught up in the mess made by his grandmother.  
  
How would he ever fix this?  
  
His eyes moved to a blonde figure up ahead of him. "Lucky!" Nikolas called out anxiously.  
  
He ran to catch up with him. Nikolas knew he was trying to veer off in an attempt to avoid him. He sprinted across the patch of grass and cut Lucky off. "Lucky!"  
  
"What do you want Nikolas? I told you already, I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to hurt you any more than I have. And I know I will." Lucky leaned back on his heels and shifted his weight to turn and leave. Nikolas grabbed him.  
  
"I talked with Elizabeth. I think she's really thinking about you!" he offered.  
  
"I've talked with Elizabeth too!" Lucky spat, "And she's done thinking of me! We're through! Brother!" his voice dripped with sarcasm and malice.  
  
"Look, I'm sure if you'll just give her time! I know she still loves you."  
  
"Stop it! Look Nikolas, just go back to your little palace and be a little prince and marry your little princess! Us commoners don't deserve happy endings, didn't you know?"  
  
"Lucky!" Elizabeth's voice rang out in anger, she had been walking through the park when she thought she heard familiar voices. "Stop that! Why are you doing this to Nikolas? Can't you see he's hurting enough?" She pointed to Nikolas.  
  
His face must have betrayed the grief he felt over this. His hands rubbed his eyes, hoping this would give him enough time to cover his "too obvious" emotions.  
  
"No! Elizabeth, it's all right." He was to blame and she shouldn't defend him. No one should.  
  
"No! Nikolas, he has no right! We were trying to save him! You were trying to save him. You risked your neck for Lucky. I mean, both of us could have died! I did "die"!" she cried out frustrated. "He should be grateful for all you did!"  
  
"For what I did?" Nikolas laughed, "I made him lose that love for you, is what I did!"  
  
"No Nikolas, you saved him, you saved me!" Elizabeth tried to comfort Nikolas.  
  
Nikolas watched Lucky's expression, trying to read his face. He couldn't tell what Lucky was thinking.  
  
"Nikolas," Lucky spoke, "She's right. I've been blaming you when all you were trying to do is save me. I'm sorry! I just can't accept that this is the way it is!" Lucky turned to Elizabeth, "Please, can we start over, no expectations?"  
  
"How do we start over Lucky?" she asked anxiously.  
  
"We start out with what we were before…friends." Lucky grabbed her hands, "I'm Lucky Spencer, and this is my brother Nikolas." Lucky gestured to Nikolas.  
  
"What are you doing Lucky?" Elizabeth looked uncomfortable, unsure if this was the right course.  
  
"Elizabeth, if we're gonna start somewhere, we might as well start at the beginning." Lucky took one of Nik's arms in his and Elizabeth's in the other. "I think we need coffee, to get to know each other again, as we are now. Right?" Lucky's boyish grin seemed to break down the barrier that Elizabeth had put up.  
  
"Yeah, maybe we do!" Nikolas hoped this support offered a little bit of help to the Cause. Elizabeth and Lucky are on their way back, or was that, on their way forward? 


	7. seven

1.1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
2 Chapter Seven  
  
The three of them had been sitting at Kelly's for the past hour. In a way, it seemed like nothing had changed, but in a way, things had. Lucky wasn't trying to behave like he had been. He seemed more relaxed. Nicholas seemed relieved that the tension between Lucky and him had passed. Elizabeth, well, she wasn't quite sure what she felt. She was glad that they weren't pretending anymore and that in a way, they could be who they were, but still, she knew that there was still some of the past there with them, lingering.  
  
"Elizabeth?" Nikolas called her away from her thoughts. "A penny for your thoughts?"  
  
Lucky chuckled, "I'll give you a nickel?"  
  
Elizabeth laughed, "I was just thinking…nothing special!" She wrapped her hands around the hot coffee mug and took a sip. She leaned back and looked at the two guys sitting in front of her. Elizabeth was at ease with Nikolas, she didn't seem to have to try to spark conversation with him. As her gaze took her to Lucky, she couldn't help but feel like she was sitting with a stranger, yet with a strange sense of déjà vu.  
  
"Nikolas! Where have you been?" Gia cried. She walked into the coffee shop disheveled, a look not befitting a model.  
  
"Sorry Gia. I just ran into Lucky and Elizabeth in the park and we stopped for coffee."  
  
Gia looked put off. "And you couldn't have picked up the phone to call?"  
  
Everyone at the table including Elizabeth laughed, whooo, Nikolas was in for it!  
  
Nikolas got up and snuggled up against Gia, "I'm sorry." He kissed the nape of her neck, "I promise to call next time."  
  
"Oh, there's not going to be a next time, buster!" she spoke with that Brooklyn attitude she was so well known for.  
  
Elizabeth watched Nikolas tensed, but then Gia eased the tension allowing everyone to know she was just kidding. She laughed and said, "I'm going to keep a leash on you boy!"  
  
Nikolas rolled his eyes and grabbed a chair for his fiancée. Elizabeth's body tensed. She hadn't spoken to Gia since the night she told Elizabeth the truth about Lucky.  
  
"Gia," Elizabeth nodded graciously at her.  
  
"Elizabeth," Gia answered  
  
"Um," Elizabeth began to say something, but was interrupted by Gia.  
  
"Liz, look, I'm sorry about everything. Maybe it wasn't right of me to have said anything to you about Lucky, but I couldn't think of any reason not to tell you." Nikolas put his hand on her arm, seeming to restrain her with his will.  
  
"Gia!" Lucky whispered angrily, "Haven't you done enough? We've tried to put that behind us! Why are you bringing it up again?" He looked at Elizabeth in seeming apology.  
  
"You guys," Elizabeth finally spoke, "It's okay! I think we need to talk about it. Gia, why don't we go outside for a moment?" Elizabeth grabbed her coat that hung on her chair.  
  
Once outside, Elizabeth took a sharp breath as she entered the crisp coldness of winter. She turned around to face Gia.  
  
Gia began speaking, "Look Elizabeth, I know you probably will never forgive me for doing that to you on your wedding day, and I don't expect you to, but I am sorry. Like I said that night, it wasn't meant to hurt you. I just thought you should know!"  
  
"Gia, I've never liked you ever since I've met you. I didn't ever think you had a moral fiber in your body…" Elizabeth trailed off for a moment, controlling the emotions that seemed to flare whenever she spoke with Gia. "Listen, I know that I've accused you of a lot of stuff, most of it was right," Gia seemed to protest, but Elizabeth continued on, "But, I've realized that you do love Nik, which I give you credit for. And I also realize that you weren't trying to hurt me when you told me about Lucky."  
  
Gia seemed to breath easier after the last point. "Elizabeth, I'm so glad you understand that I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry about Lucky, but I know you would've been hurt even more had you gone through the wedding and find out some other way." Elizabeth watched her; she seemed sincere.  
  
"Fine. Then everything's sorted out, right?" Elizabeth just wanted to get out of the heart to hear with Gia.  
  
"Yeah! Let's go back in! It's freezing out here!" Gia motioned for her to go in first as she held the door open.  
  
"Um, I'll be just a second!" Elizabeth explained, "I just need a couple of moments to regroup."  
  
Gia looked sympathetic. "Okay!" she exclaimed as she ran in the door.  
  
***  
  
Jaime had just been on a refreshing walk in the park. She had stopped at a cute little newsstand in Port Charles and picked up the local paper. Jaime had been thinking she'd better find a job. The money she had saved from her previous jobs wasn't going to hold out much longer. She had found an advertisement for an office job at a corporation called ELQ, but Jaime crossed that off right away. Jaime did not want to be stuck in an office all day! She continued looking at the ads, but it seemed like jobs in Port Charles wound up being either boring or not enough pay. Jaime had sighed as she turned around to go back home. Suddenly, there it was!  
  
A huge building loomed above her. Well, it wasn't tall per say, but it was pretty big. Bigger than the buildings she'd seen around the docks, where she'd been walking. A neatly printed advertisement that seemed a little too classy for the docks. It seemed that this building was to be a nightclub and needed bouncers, bartenders and waiters/waitresses. A bouncer! Oh, that sounded like fun! Jaime thought for a second, but knew that she'd be perfect for the job. She'd done some nightclub work, waitering though, but she was sure she could do the bouncer's job. Besides, the places she'd worked had the bouncer positions filled.  
  
Jaime knew she had to go back to her place and print out a resume. She'd go back there in the morning and see if she could get the position. Nightclubs are always fun!  
  
As she walked towards Kelly's, she recognized Liz from a few feet away. She seemed to be just standing outside, mumbling to herself. "Liz! Hi!"  
  
Elizabeth's head shot up. Her face smiled in recognition of Jaime. "Hi Jaime! How are you?"  
  
"Oh good! What are you doing out here? Talking to yourself?"  
  
She looked amused. "I wasn't talking to myself!" Elizabeth exclaimed.  
  
"Okay," Jaime apologized. "You were mumbling to yourself!" she corrected.  
  
"I wasn't," she denied, but then relented. "Okay, maybe a bit! But you never saw me doing it!" Elizabeth laughed.  
  
"Fine! Mum's the word!" Jaime laughed. "So what are you doing out here?"  
  
"Oh, I was just about to go back in!"  
  
"Well don't let me stop you. I'm kind of getting cold!" Jaime rubbed her arms.  
  
"Oh! Sorry!" Elizabeth opened the door and Jaime walked into the warm coffee shop.  
  
"Elizabeth!" a boy shouted. Jaime thought about it for a second. Oh, it was that boy who spilled coffee on me. Apparently they know Elizabeth.  
  
Elizabeth looked apologetically at Jaime, "Just a sec!" she shouted towards the boy.  
  
"Um, do you want to come over to my table? A few of my friends and I were having coffee." Elizabeth offered.  
  
"Um, okay! I'll join you in a second. I'm going to go order my coffee first." Jaime walked over to Kate, one of the waitresses at the counter. "Could I get a coffee? I'll be at that table over there!" Jaime pointed at the table of four.  
  
Thankfully Elizabeth had pulled a chair out for her. There's nothing more embarrassing than just joining a table of strangers. Jaime sat down and introduced herself, "Hi I'm Jaime!" She shook hands with the people at the table, each of them introducing themselves.  
  
"Nik!" The dark haired boy at the far end of the table greeted her. "This is Gia, my fiancée!" The long dark haired girl seemed to jab him.  
  
"Nice to meet you!"  
  
Jaime nodded as she shook her hand, she looked familiar, and then she knew, "You're the Deception model, right?"  
  
"Yup!" her eyes glowed.  
  
"Lucky," the blonde boy offered his hand. "The guy who spilled coffee on you!" he chuckled.  
  
"Yeah, I remember that!" Jaime laughed.  
  
And Elizabeth pointed out, "I'm Elizabeth, but you already know me!"  
  
"I sure do!" Jaime giggled. "Wow! I never thought that I'd meet so many new friends in Port Charles! Everyone's so friendly."  
  
"Yeah, we're a nice bunch here!" Lucky agreed. "You missed all the bad people a couple of weeks ago!"  
  
Everyone laughed except for Elizabeth. Lucky! Oh, her ex-fiancee! This must be the guy who broke her heart. Jaime sized him up from where she was sitting. Well, he's good-looking enough, but there was just something she didn't like about him. Ah, maybe it was her suspicious nature. But Nikolas is definitely hot! Too bad he's taken. Jaime giggled at the thoughts that popped up. She was definitely going to like it here! 


	8. eight

1.1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
2 Chapter Eight  
  
Elizabeth woke up in the warm rays of the morning sun. She had a wonderful sleep that evening. It had been a couple of weeks since she and Lucky decided to become friends again and see what that led to. She still didn't know. It was almost like getting to know a complete stranger, but also getting to know a person whom she'd known for a lifetime. It doesn't make any sense!  
  
Elizabeth shook her head, she and Jaime had talked about this a couple of times. It was a lot easier to talk to Jaime than to Nikolas, or for that matter Gia, as if that would ever happen. Jaime had an objective view of the situation. She had nothing to gain over whether she or Lucky got back together or not. Which in a way, was a relief, not to have to listen to the three-word phrase she'd heard time and time again.  
  
As Elizabeth finished washing up and changing out of her pajamas, she stared at the blank canvas that had been sitting on her easel for days now. She hadn't painted in months. Elizabeth had talked to the college about enrolling in some art classes and art history too. She had about two months before the summer sessions would start. So while she waited for the classes, she had checked out some books on Italy. She had thought she might be able to get some ideas from the pictures.  
  
Knock knock.  
  
Hmmm, who could that be this early in the morning? Elizabeth thought as she went to open the door. "Who is it?" she yelled.  
  
"It's Jaime! I brought some nice steaming hot coffee from Kelly's!"  
  
As she let Jaime in, Elizabeth accepted the gift happily. "So what are you doing up so early?"  
  
"Oh! Nothing, I always get up this early. I'm just an early bird. My dad taught me that. You know, the early bird catches the worm."  
  
Elizabeth watched Jaime wander around her studio. "So have you found a job yet?"  
  
"Oh, uh, maybe. I got an interview at this club opening down at the docks. I sent in my resume, and I'm hoping to get it!" she said excitedly.  
  
"Really? What's the position?"  
  
"Bouncer! At least that's what I applied for! They could give me the position of bartender and I wouldn't mind either, but I prefer bouncer!" she laughed.  
  
Elizabeth choked on the coffee she had just swallowed. "Bouncer? Are you serious?"  
  
"Yeah! I don't have much experience. But I've worked in a nightclub before and I've got some martial arts training. I'm pretty sure I could handle it. But I'm not sure that they know I'm a girl. Most owners pick those big brutes of a guy." Jaime shrugged off the doubts.  
  
"Wow! That's so…cool?" Elizabeth couldn't even think of what the small five foot two girl could do against a six foot giant. She was amazed again at Jaime. She's not what she seems to be.  
  
"Uh, so, what are you working on?" Jaime pointed to the sketchy canvas Elizabeth had been procrastinating on.  
  
"Oh, uh, it's supposed to be a picture of two lovers on the gondolas in Italy? Do you know those boats that Italy is famous for?" Elizabeth wasn't sure if Jaime had been educated in that kind of stuff in Korea.  
  
Elizabeth had learned a little bit of Jaime's past in the couple of weeks she and the rest of the "group" had been hanging out. Jaime was born and raised in Korea, but her father made her entire family learn English. Elizabeth didn't even notice an accent. There were a lot of things that Jaime said and did that made Elizabeth admire her. She was a good person. She seemed to have a light, a kind of spark in her that made people just gravitate to her.  
  
Jaime got along well with Nikolas and Lucky. Surprisingly enough, Gia and Jaime were really close too. She didn't quite understand why Jaime liked Gia so much, but they hung out a lot when Elizabeth was too busy with painting and Lucky, both things that Gia seemed to disapprove of. Well, not that Elizabeth cared what Gia thought.  
  
"Yeah, you know what? I've actually been there a couple of times. My dad and our family traveled all over Europe when I was a kid. He thought we should broaden our horizons and be adept at living in different cultures. After leaving my family, I went back to Italy. It seemed different when you're alone. But it was amazing!" she sighed.  
  
Elizabeth envied her. How many times had she thought of planning a trip to Italy? How long could she put it off? She wasn't getting any younger. "That must have been amazing! How did you get around? It must have been confusing. I mean, I think I would definitely get lost!" Elizabeth laughed.  
  
"Yeah, actually, the first week there I ended up getting lost. I had no clue where I was. I mean, it had been a while since I'd been to Italy. I was there when I was twelve and then we moved several months later. But then an amazing guy came along and told me he would show me around Italy." Jaime seemed to melt at the mention of this man Elizabeth observed with a smile.  
  
"Was he something special? Did you have an Italian romance?" Elizabeth teased.  
  
Jaime sat up and she had this odd look on her face, like she was reprimanding herself. "Um, no! Actually, well, he was special, but he wasn't Italian. He was American, if you can believe that. In all of Italy, I happen to find the only American to give me a tour of Italy!" she laughed. "But he was different. We were just friends. He was actually an amazing friend! I almost cried when I told him that I had to head up to Austria because my dad had called and told me that he had to see me. Believe me, it takes a lot to make me cry, I never cry!"  
  
"Wow, he must have been something special!" Elizabeth laughed.  
  
"Mmm," she sighed, "He was!" Jaime leaned against the table for a moment and suddenly jerked straight up and laughed. "I must look like a star- struck school girl!"  
  
"No more than I did whenever I thought about Lucky!" Elizabeth laughed.  
  
"Well, it isn't exactly like you and Lucky," Jaime felt her face flush as she laughed.  
  
"Well, I don't think most relationships are like me and Lucky!" Elizabeth exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, well, we were just friends. I mean, you two were…I mean, are something more." Jaime explained.  
  
"I don't know about that. Lucky and I went to dinner last night and I found myself kind of, you know, standing outside myself." Elizabeth tried to explain the odd feeling it was, watching Lucky romance her. "I felt like we were on a stage acting out a skit that had been written out."  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"I just felt like we were forcing it. It just felt like, I don't know, Lucky was trying to hard."  
  
"Well, did you tell Lucky that?" Jaime asked.  
  
"How could I? I mean, he's trying so hard to get to know me and he's telling me that he's falling in love with me, where in between that and dinner was I supposed to mention it?" Elizabeth threw her hands in the air. She was so frustrated. Maybe it had been a bad idea to try to do this. Maybe she should have just walked away.  
  
Jaime looked at her sympathetically, "I know it's hard. I mean, well, actually I don't know, but gosh, Elizabeth, you need to tell him what you are thinking. I mean, isn't that what got you here in the first place. Both of you are trying to be something or someone you're not. I think the best policy is honesty."  
  
"Easier said than done Jaime!" Elizabeth sighed. She reminded Elizabeth a lot of Jason. Jaime kept on giving her solutions that were way to easy to work, or so she thought. But in the end, they always did.  
  
"I know. Sometimes the truth hurts, but in the end, the truth hurts a lot less than the lies or in your case, pretending." Jaime spouted off wisdom beyond her age. Elizabeth couldn't believe how lucky she was to have a friend that didn't mind listening to her huge mess with Lucky and told her the way things are, and not the way she wanted or imagined them to be.  
  
"Yeah, I guess." Elizabeth walked towards the windows staring out at the sunny blue skies. "I just don't want to be "giving up"," she sighed.  
  
"Elizabeth, it's not giving up. You have to know that if you two are meant to be, you'll be!" Jaime sighed, patting Elizabeth on the back. "Now look, it's a beautiful morning! Let's not waste it inside! Let's go for a walk. We can talk about it more if you want!"  
  
"I'm tired of talking about it. I need to get away from it is what I need! I wish I could just run away to Italy! You know a friend of mine was going to take me there? He offered, I turned him down because of Lucky." Elizabeth looked out the window wistfully.  
  
"Well, why don't you go then?" Jaime cried, pushing her on the back.  
  
"What do you mean, why don't I go? I couldn't possibly go!" Elizabeth looked at her incredously.  
  
"Why not? Phone up that friend of yours and get him to show you around Italy. I'm sure he's probably up to it after what you've been through lately!"  
  
"Well, uh, he's not in town! And besides, I don't know where to reach him!" Elizabeth explained hastily.  
  
"What kind of friend leaves town and doesn't give you a forwarding address?" Jaime said in disgust.  
  
"Well, um, we didn't leave on the best of circumstances." Elizabeth sighed.  
  
"Okay," Jaime backed off, "Well then, why don't I go with you? I can show you around Italy!" she exclaimed.  
  
"What? You haven't even got a job! I mean, weren't you supposed to go for an interview?" Elizabeth cried.  
  
"I have some money saved. I was saving it for something special, but this is something special! It's your first trip to Italy!" Jaime exclaimed. "Besides, I can tell them I want to start the job later. From the looks of the building anyway, it doesn't look like it's going to be up and running for at least another month. And we can get most of Italy in, in a month."  
  
Elizabeth felt her pulse racing. Could she really do this? She had the college tuition to use. It wasn't like she was completely sure that she was going to enroll in the summer classes! Could she really be going to Italy? 


	9. nine

Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
1 Chapter Nine  
  
Jaime walked into the newly renovated building she intended to work at. She took a deep breath, looked at herself in the double-sided glass that lined the interior of the building and walked into the club.  
  
The room was large and dimly lit. Half the room was reserved for the DJ and a dance floor. There was also a stage tucked away in the corner of the dance floor. The bar was in the other half of the room and it's contents arranged spaciously in the middle of the floor. Further back were dark booths for those low profile customers that were bound to come here. The tables hadn't been brought in yet, but there were stools at the bar. All in all it looked like the place to be.  
  
It was empty from what Jaime could tell. She looked around the back for some sort of office. Suddenly she felt a pair of hands grab her from behind and push her up against the wall. "What are you doing here?" a man's voice asked suspiciously.  
  
"Hey!" Jaime yelled, "Easy! I'm here for an interview! Someone left a message and told me to come here at two."  
  
Jaime felt the hands loosen their grip and she pulled away, turning herself around with her back against the wall facing her aggressor. She eyed the dark haired guy who also was sizing her up. "Sorry!" he apologized, "But I wasn't expecting any girls today. I thought she was interviewing for door personnel today."  
  
He seemed to be sincere. Jaime relaxed a little and explained, "I am here for the job as a bouncer!" Jaime pulled herself up to the fullest extent of her height, as tall as that was.  
  
The guy smirked. "Really. Oh! I think Carly thought you were a guy." He looked like he was ready to escort her to the door. "I'm sorry."  
  
Jaime pulled her arm from his grasp, "Excuse me, mistake or no, I want to see the owner!" Jaime wasn't about to give up so easily. She made her stance known to the dim lacky. "Tell her I'll wait for her at the bar." Jaime left the hallway she had wandered into and back to the nightclub area. She was going to need room to prove that she was fully capable of tending to the door.  
  
She heard a little commotion in the back. It sounded like a woman laughing as the guy spoke in hushed tones. Jaime heard the click of heels and heavy footsteps of work boots. Out of the doorway appeared a tall full figured blonde woman who had a smirk on her face that seemed to say, Make this fast!  
  
Jaime got off the stool to shake her hand. The woman waved her off. "I'm sorry, I'm looking for big guys who can handle things at the door. Not scrawny women!" she said dismissively.  
  
"I can handle things at the door." Jaime spoke curtly. She definitely didn't like her attitude.  
  
"Oh really! What can a pipsqueak like you do to a guy three times your size?" she accused, "Go back to your little mousehole, I'm sorry. Zander can you please escort…"  
  
"Jaime Nam. And I have to tell you you're making a mistake not hiring me!" Jaime taunted.  
  
"Really," Carly laughed and turned to walk away.  
  
Zander moved to lead her out the door when Jaime grabbed his wrist, kicked his feet from under him and had him sprawled on his back with her knee at his throat. "Really!" Jaime smiled.  
  
The woman seemed a little shocked and dismayed at Jaime's abilities. "Well, I don't know if you fit into my club's clientele." She sneered.  
  
"Look I know we got off to a bad start," Jaime sucked up the idea of rubbing it into her face. "But I know I'm the right person for the job. Just give me a chance. Besides, what more, says "classy" in a nightclub than a woman bouncer. Especially one who could take down a guy twice her size." Jaime challenged. She felt in her gut that this would be appealing to a woman who seemed to appreciate tough women as she seemed to be herself.  
  
"Maybe," she smirked. "I guess we'll give you a shot. But if I suspect anything devious or you even look at me cross-eyed, honey you'll be out that door so fast!"  
  
"Great! You won't have any problems!" Jaime shouted with glee.  
  
"Um," a voice gasped, "Could you let me up now?"  
  
Jaime looked down, "Oh sorry!" she exclaimed, "I totally forgot about you!" Jaime pulled him up off the floor.  
  
Carly seemed to suppress her amusement as she watched Zander straighten himself up. "When can you start?" she asked as she shook Jaime's hand.  
  
"Um, I figured you guys wouldn't be ready to open for another month and a half so I kind of made plans to go out of town. I was hoping to start around the beginning of April?"  
  
"Yeah that sounds okay. Now since you'll be working here, the guy you took down, his name is Zander!" she pointed at the dark haired man in a leather jacket.  
  
"Hi! Nice to meet you!" Jaime laughed as she shook his hand.  
  
"Yeah, likewise!"  
  
Jaime felt awkward after that. There was an odd silence. "Um, if you need to contact me in the time that I'm gone my phone number's on my resume. I also have voice mail and I'll check it when I'm away. So if you need me sooner, or something comes up, you can let me know."  
  
"Yeah, fine! Hey kid," she yelled as she turned to walk back to her office, "Next time, just wait out here instead of wandering around my club, 'kay?"  
  
"Uh, yeah!" Jaime nodded as she turned to leave the club.  
  
"Hey Jaime, right?" Zander shouted, "Maybe you can show me a couple of those kung fu moves you pulled on me!"  
  
"Yeah! Maybe!" Jaime laughed.  
  
***  
  
Elizabeth walked into Kelly's with so many different voices running through her head. Was she really going to go to Italy?  
  
"Elizabeth!" Lucky called.  
  
"Lucky," Elizabeth spoke, holding her breath. How was she going to tell Lucky without him taking it personally?  
  
"Hey I was thinking next weekend we could go on a road trip, maybe find some places that we've never been to before." He rambled on with details and ideas that had been stewing in his head.  
  
"Uh, Lucky? I can't," she paused. Was she really going to do this? Elizabeth took a deep breath. "I'm going out of town for a month or so."  
  
"What? What do you mean?" Lucky looked stunned.  
  
"Jaime and I are going out of town." She tried to explain, but she knew he wouldn't let her.  
  
"Why?" he exclaimed. His eyes looked wide and confused.  
  
"I just have to get away." Elizabeth didn't want to make this into a big deal.  
  
"Why? We're just starting to get to know each other again. I thought we were getting close."  
  
"I know Lucky. I don't know how to explain. I just need to get away from the pressure." Elizabeth reached out to comfort him.  
  
"What pressure?" he asked angrily. "Are you saying I'm pressuring you?"  
  
"Lucky no! No! That's not what I'm saying." She sighed, trying to figure out how to explain this. "I just need to get away from Port Charles. It feels like everyone's watching us."  
  
Elizabeth tried to finish but Lucky interrupted her, "Well then let's go on the road trip. Just you and me!" Lucky exclaimed, "Then we'd be together and you'd be away from Port Charles."  
  
"Lucky no!" she stated firmly, " I need to find my life! I need to find my inspiration for painting. Did you know I haven't painted in the last six months? I can't have my life revolve around you anymore, especially if you don't feel the same way." Elizabeth pulled Lucky over to a table. She could feel the customers staring at them, at the "hysterical couple" yelling in the middle of Kelly's. "Lucky, look, I feel like all we're doing is trying to fix us. I mean, that can't be all there is to life. I used to have my painting; you, your photography. We need to get back to some of the other stuff in our lives. I think if we do, then, maybe we'll get back this!" she gestured between the two of them.  
  
"But you can do that here!" he pleaded, his eyes welling up with tears.  
  
"Lucky! I'm not going to be gone forever!" she laughed, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I just need to find my inspiration to paint again. You used to be that." She paused to take another deep breath, "But I've got to find a new reason. I've got to find a new reason to keep going. I think new sights and sounds will do that."  
  
"Lucky grabbed her hand, "I want to be your reason Elizabeth!"  
  
Elizabeth grimaced, "Lucky you can't be…Lucky, not just yet. You have to find your way, not find "the way which you and I had planned so long ago." We both believe we can find our way back, it's fate, right?" Elizabeth asked.  
  
Lucky nodded his head.  
  
"Then let's let fate work it's magic. I'll only be gone for a month?" she offered.  
  
"Okay." Lucky stated.  
  
"Okay?" Elizabeth asked.  
  
"Yeah, it's okay. It's got to be, right? "Lucky asked.  
  
Elizabeth nodded. Part of her hoped what she had said was true, but part of her dreaded the slightest possibility that she was wrong. Either way Italy would show her where her heart was. Just where it's always been, with Lucky! She hoped. Or did she? 


	10. ten

1.1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
2 Chapter Ten  
  
"Four weeks in Italy!" Elizabeth exclaimed.  
  
"Yup!" Jaime clamored in agreement, "Isn't it going to be great?"  
  
Jaime and Elizabeth had found great seats to Italy a couple of weeks after they had planned the getaway. They had packed quickly and hoped Elizabeth's passport would be validated in two weeks. Luckily Audrey had some friends that got Elizabeth's paperwork done excessively fast.  
  
"Grams, thanks so much for the help." Elizabeth hugged her grandmother tightly.  
  
"Oh Elizabeth! Don't be melodramatic," Audrey chided through her tears.  
  
As Elizabeth pulled away, she wiped her tears out of her eyes. "Yeah, I'll see you in a month!"  
  
Audrey had left after that tearful goodbye. Elizabeth and Jaime had already said their goodbyes to Nikolas and Gia, when they dropped by Windymere earlier that morning. The only one they hadn't said their goodbyes to was Lucky. Elizabeth had been on pins and needles searching for Lucky in the crowd.  
  
"He'll be here!" Jaime exclaimed. Elizabeth had been so busy looking for Lucky that Jaime ended up putting the luggage through and getting the tickets at the counter.  
  
"I know," Elizabeth sighed. "Sorry I've been so distracted. I promise I'll get all the luggage when we get to Italy."  
  
Jaime laughed. "It's okay! I'm sure you'll be a little more focused when Lucky kisses you goodbye!" Jaime pointed to a distinct blonde headed boy who was making his way through the crowd.  
  
"Lucky!" Elizabeth exclaimed. Elizabeth's body relaxed as Lucky wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"You didn't think I'd let you go without a goodbye?" Lucky sighed.  
  
"Flight 468A to Italy boarding in 10 minutes." The announcer's voice echoed throughout the airport.  
  
"Okay guys!" Jaime announced, "Let's roll!"  
  
"Oh, so soon!" Lucky cried.  
  
"Well, you were supposed to be here a little bit earlier!" Elizabeth laughed. "I'll miss you!"  
  
Elizabeth hugged Lucky again. She felt his arms tighten around her and felt saddened; not because she was leaving, but because Elizabeth thought she should have felt more.  
  
"I'll miss you too Elizabeth!" Lucky whispered.  
  
"Okay ladies! Break it up!" Jaime called, "Time to hit the road!"  
  
Elizabeth pulled away and grabbed her backpack. "I'll see you Lucky!"  
  
"Yeah. I'll be waiting"  
  
"Bye Lucky!" Jaime called back, waving behind her.  
  
Elizabeth ran to catch up to Jaime. She took a last look at Lucky. For some reason, it felt like for the "last time".  
  
***  
  
As the plane ride dragged on, Jaime peered out the window. Boy, Italy. She never thought she'd ever go back there. Jaime had planned to, after traveling through Scotland, but somehow she wound up in Prot Charles. When she was at the ticket counter she heard the name Port Charles and by the time she had the ticket in her hand, she was headed to the small yet seemingly familiar town.  
  
Jaime glanced over tat Elizabeth. She had tuckered out in the middle of the fourth hour of flight. She hated rushing Elizabeth's and Lucky's goodbye, but she had felt awkward watching the two. Jaime had nothing against Lucky, but she could never figure out how the two fit. It could've been because she'd only known them for five weeks, but even with the idea that Lucky's mind had been brainwashed, he just seemed a little on the bossy side. Jaime never mentioned any of this to Elizabeth, it wasn't constructive. There's no point. Besides, it was none of her business.  
  
"Mmmmm, hey how long have I been out?" Elizabeth groaned as she stretched out her arms.  
  
"Oh about a couple of hours." Jaime estimated. "We've got probably got another forty minutes till we land. She looked out the window, the time change was a killer. They would arrive around eight in the morning, in Italy's time.  
  
"So what are we going to do when we get there?" Elizabeth asked.  
  
"Um, well, we're landing in Rome and we've got a driver waiting for us at the airport to chauffeur us to Luke's house. He's a friend of a friend. He'll put us up for the few days we're in Rome and from there, we'll just wing it!" Jaime explained.  
  
"We'll wing it?" Elizabeth exclaimed.  
  
"Hey, you want things to be spontaneous, don't you?" Jaime teased.  
  
"Uh, I don't know!" Elizabeth hedged, "Spontaneous isn't my thing! Nothing bad happens when you wing things, right?"  
  
"Maybe, maybe not! You gotta be open to new experiences. It's the only way you'll discover your limits and the things the world and the people in it have to offer!"  
  
"You're right, I guess." Elizabeth agreed cautiously. "New experiences here I come!" Elizabeth sighed, holding onto the armrests.  
  
"Look out the window, you can see the lights of Rome!"  
  
"This is going to be some adventure!" Elizabeth smiled. 


	11. eleven

1 Love Is Patient, Kind, and Above All True  
  
1.1 Chapter Eleven  
  
Lucky headed towards Helena's cell. His hands making sure that the item he had would stay hidden. He smirked as the old white-haired matriarch sat on her cot in her fluorescent jump suit. "Helena!" he said angrily.  
  
"Lucky, my dear boy! What a pleasure to see you!" she smiled.  
  
His hand fingered the hidden item beneath his jacket. "Helena, you are going to fix things."  
  
"What ever do you mean? What is there to fix? My dear Spencer, I thought you had conquered all!" she laughed maliciously.  
  
"You are going to fix what you did to me!" Lucky yelled.  
  
"How can I do that my dear?" Helena asked as she leaned against the bars.  
  
"With this!" Lucky whispered, as he pulled out a piece of the Ice Princess.  
  
He watched as Helena's eyes gleamed as she peered at the precious stone. She was going to fix what she did to him and he was going to be with Elizabeth again.  
  
***  
  
As Elizabeth walked down the long corridor that lead from the plane to the gate, she couldn't help but feel apprehensive. What am I doing here?  
  
Jaime scurried beside her and she looked so excited. Elizabeth wished she could feel that relaxed. Nothing in her life had ever gone the way she had planned it, so how different could her experience in Italy be? Of course she and Jaime really didn't have anything planned.  
  
"Hey! Wipe that worried look off your face!" Jaime chided. "We're in Italy! No one's allowed to look depressed or worried in this country! Unless you're Italian and then it's just an intense angry look!" Jaime laughed as she led Elizabeth towards the gate.  
  
Elizabeth was overwhelmed at the crowd of people at the gate. Many men dressed in suits, which Elizabeth could only guess were drivers, stood with signs in various languages. She watched Jaime survey the many signs until she heard an accented voice yelling.  
  
"Jaime! Miss Nam!" a male voice called.  
  
Elizabeth watched as a sign popped up from time to time, which seemed to have the word NAM printed on it.  
  
"Donnie?" Jaime yelled. Jaime's eyes followed the frantic sign, which seemed to come nearer to them.  
  
Elizabeth felt her arm pulled forward, towards the sign.  
  
"Jaime!" the voice called again.  
  
"Donnie!" Jaime shouted.  
  
The crowd parted to reveal a short man, whom Elizabeth guessed, was Italian. He was a fair bit older than Jaime and was about a head taller than her. His dark hair was distinguished by hints of grey that streaked his temples. His moustache was also salt a pepper. He could almost be her father, thought Elizabeth, with the exception that he was Italian. Jaime embraced the older gentleman. They then greeted each other with kisses on each other's cheeks.  
  
As Jaime pulled away she looked back to Elizabeth who was feeling very uncomfortable at the time. "Elizabeth this is Donnie our driver! Donnie this is Liz!" As Jaime introduced him, Elizabeth shook the man's extended hand.  
  
"It's nice to meet you," she grimaced as she adjusted her backpack, which was growing ever heavier.  
  
"Oh, let me get that signorina!" Donnie exclaimed, as he reached out and relieved Elizabeth and Jaime of their backpacks.  
  
"Oh that's all right!" Elizabeth exclaimed, "You don't…"  
  
Jaime interrupted her, "Don't bother trying, you're not going to get it back!" she laughed at Elizabeth. "He's stubborn that way."  
  
Elizabeth found herself being led to a black sedan with tinted windows. "What about our other luggage?" she hedged.  
  
"Oh Donnie will get it. He knows what mine looks like and I've described your to him too!" she explained nonchalantly, hopping into the backseat.  
  
"You know what mine looks like?" Elizabeth was surprised.  
  
"Yup! I'm good at details that way. You kind of pick it up when you people watch. Besides, I am the one who loaded your luggage?" she laughed.  
  
"Um, so have you known Donnie for a long time?" Elizabeth changed the subject.  
  
"Yeah, he was our driver when my family lived in Italy for a while. I used to hang out with him when he washed the cars. He was like a father to me."  
  
"Wow! I knew you travelled, but I never knew you had chauffeurs and stuff. Your father must have done well in his business." Elizabeth exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah. Well, business is business," Jaime dismissed, "It wasn't something I really cared about."  
  
Elizabeth noticed Jaime's change in demeanor after she had mentioned her father and his business.  
  
"They're really not chauffeurs," Jaime explained, "Those are for the rich high society bunch. We just call them drivers. I think Donnie prefers it that way!" Jaime laughed as Donnie hopped into the driver's seat. "Don't you Donnie!" she teased.  
  
"Now don't be starting with me signorina!" he warned with a smile. "You're still small enough that I can put you over my knee!"  
  
Elizabeth laughed along with the two. It relaxed her to watch these two argue. It didn't feel like she was in a foreign country while riding in that car, listening to some stories about Jaime.  
  
"Now don't let this little girl trick you into helping her with her schemes!" Donnie warned. "She gets into heaps of trouble if you don't watch her!" Donnie wagged his finger in the air so that Elizabeth could see it. She smiled at him and he smiled back as she watched his face in the rear view mirror.  
  
"Who me!" Jaime exclaimed, trying to look innocent.  
  
"Don't worry!" Elizabeth laughed, "I'm already on to her little tricks!" 


	12. twelve

1.1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
2 Chapter Twelve  
  
Jaime walked into Luciano's villa with a sense of warmth embracing her. Luke, as she liked to call him, had made her feel at home in the clay and stone building. "Welcome to Luke's!" she bowed as Liz entered the foyer. Elizabeth looked impressed. The little house in the country wasn't the largest villa in Italy, but it was a fair size, with an upstairs and of course a wine cellar. The house was simply decorated, with a few family pictures and freshly cut flowers from the garden.  
  
"Are you sure we can just walk in? Elizabeth asked worriedly.  
  
Before Jaime could assuage Elizabeth's fears, the running footsteps and the man belonging to them answered the question. "Jaime! Is that you?" a thickly Italian accented voice called from the stairs that towered before them.  
  
"Si si!" Jaime exclaimed, running up the stairs to great the young dark haired man.  
  
Luke greeted her halfway down the stairs. He hugged her tightly and whispered warm greetings in her ear. Jaime hit him playfully. "Stop that!" she blushed.  
  
As they came down the stairs, Jaime pointed at Elizabeth. "This is my friend Elizabeth whom you've also so graciously allowed to stay here!"  
  
Jaime watched as Luke fixed his eyes on Elizabeth like she was the most stunning creature in the world. He had also done this to her. It was Italian charm, and somewhat of a joke. Luke loved to make the ladies feel uncomfortable, especially foreign ladies. "Luke! Don't tease Elizabeth so!" Jaime laughed as she watched Luke greet Elizabeth with a kiss on her hand.  
  
Elizabeth looked flustered.  
  
"Oh, why should I not spend time on such a beautiful woman such as this?" he asked flirtatiously. "And with such a beautiful name."  
  
"Because I said so!" Jaime stated, playfully pushing him away from Elizabeth. Elizabeth blushed and looked very relieved to be out from under Luke's intense gaze.  
  
"Luke!" Jaime pouted, "We're tired! Do you have a bed for us to lay our pretty heads?"  
  
Of course!" Luke snapped out of his 'charming mode', as Jaime liked to call it and apologized, "Forgive me for losing my head. I will show you to your rooms! Benia has them already prepared!"  
  
Donnie took half the luggage while Luke took the other half. Jaime looked at Elizabeth and rolled her eyes, "What can you do? They're men!"  
  
Elizabeth laughed at Jaime's joke and both were grateful to be heading towards a comfortable bed.  
  
***  
  
Lucky had consulted with Kevin about getting Helena to "fix" him and had agreed to allow Kevin to join him in convincing Helena. So far Helena had refused to even lift a hand to help. Finally though, as the court date drew nearer, she offered to tell Kevin how to help if the charges of kidnapping Lucky were to be dropped.  
  
It seemed reasonable since there were so many other charges against her that would keep her in jail. There was hope that Lucky would be free, and remember everything. Lucky had the papers drawn up and showed them to Helena. When she was satisfied that he would actually sign them, she explained the process to Kevin.  
  
"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Kevin asked Lucky who sat in Kevin's office.  
  
"Yes!" Lucky firmly stated.  
  
"All right. Here we go! Let's get your memory back!" 


	13. thirteen

1.1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
2 Chapter Thirteen  
  
Elizabeth sat on the terrace facing the small garden in Luke's villa. After a day's rest, she and Jaime were led on a tour of the house and the surrounding countryside. Elizabeth was astounded by the extent of the villa and the gorgeous view. She had never imagined that Italy could be so beautiful. She pondered that morning what they would do next. Elizabeth surveyed the large garden, which was small in comparison to some of Luke's neighboring villas. Jason had never described it like this.  
  
What was she thinking? Jason never described things. The thought made her laugh.  
  
"What are you laughing about?" Jaime asked, interrupting Elizabeth's thoughts. She arrived on the terrace accompanied by an elderly lady carrying a tray full of pastries and coffee.  
  
"Oh nothing." Elizabeth said wistfully.  
  
"Were you thinking about Lucky? Jaime asked ruefully, as she put the tray down. "Because you are not supposed to think about that boy on this trip!"  
  
"No. It wasn't about Lucky!" she sighed at the mention of Lucky. Elizabeth grabbed a flaky pastry that looked like a turnover, sort of.  
  
"Good!" Jaime stated so very matter-of-factly, while pouring the coffee. "So what do you want to do today? There are a couple of small villages around here. Or we could just head into the heart of Rome where there are a few bigger markets. What do you think?"  
  
Elizabeth had no idea. She had always dreamt of coming, but she'd never ever thought she'd really be here. "What do you think?"  
  
"Well I think if you really want to get to know Italy, it's best done in the small towns and villages." Jaime explained while sipping her coffee.  
  
"Si si! I totally agree!" Luke spoke as he walked through the terrace door.  
  
"Good morning sleepy head!" Jaime smiled, accepting a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Good morning signorinas!" Luke smiled, "And a very good morning to you Miss Elizabeth! I trust I did not wear you out the first day of your stay here in Rome."  
  
"Nope!" Elizabeth grinned, "Did I tell you how amazing it is here? And I've only seen a minute part of Italy!"  
  
"Hmmmm," he pondered with a glint in his eye, "Yes! I do recall you telling me four or five times that 'Italy's countryside is beautiful', no?"  
  
Elizabeth felt her face flush. "Sorry, if it gets annoying let me know and I'll stop!"  
  
Luke looked confused, he turned towards Jaime and she spoke to him in Italian, fluently Elizabeth noted. "Sorry! I keep forgetting you don't speak English fluently. You just seem very good at it!" Elizabeth apologized.  
  
"Oh, it is all right sigorina! As long as I have Jaime here, it is as you say, 'no problemo?'" he looked questioningly at Jaime.  
  
"No problem." Jaime corrected. "Hey I'm no official translator okay?" She put her hands up.  
  
"Do not be modest, il mio amore, you are fluent in Italian!" Luke pointed out. "No?"  
  
Jaime blushed, "I know enough! Okay mister?" She punched him in the arm. "I have a great idea! Liz, why don't' you write out an entire list of things you'd like to do in Italy, and then from there we can figure out the route we'll take. Here's a pad," Jaime pulled a notepad from her pant pocket, "and a pen" Jaime looked over at Luke's pen. "I just have to talk to Luke about something okay?"  
  
Jaime grabbed Luke's hand and began talking in Italian just inside the terrace doors. Elizabeth couldn't make out anything that they were saying so she set down to the task of making up that list, Jaime had mentioned. "Hmmmm, oh, art museums! Definitely," she whispered to herself, "The Sistine Chapel! This is going to be great!" Elizbeth giggled to herself, then peered over to the intense conversation Jaime and Luke were having. She wondered what they were talking about.  
  
***  
  
Jaime peered over at Elizabeth, to make sure she wasn't listening, not that she would have understood, but nonetheless, out of habit. "Luke!" she whispered, "Have you heard from him?" She had been asking him that question nonstop since she got here.  
  
"No! I haven't heard from Jason! " he replied frustrated.  
  
"Have you got people looking for him?" she asked excitedly.  
  
Jaime definitely had hoped to see Jason again in Italy, but she knew that he could have gone back to the States during the time she had been gone.  
  
"Yes, I have my people on it!" he sighed, "I don't know why you chase after him like so! He told you he wasn't interested." Luke moved closer to Jaime, a little too close for comfort.  
  
"I know! But he's a friend, your friend too! And I haven't seen him in forever! Did you see him since I left Italy?" she asked, putting some distance between them.  
  
"Yes! He was here for a while, but got called away on an emergency. You know Jason! I haven't heard from him since."  
  
"Oh!" Jaime sighed. Was she ever going to see him again? "Well, I think we'll be here for another couple of days. Please keep an ear out okay?" Jaime pleaded.  
  
"Yes! Of course." He leaned down to kiss her.  
  
"Luke! No!" Jaime exclaimed. She thought he'd understood that she just wanted to remain friends. "We're friends, right?"  
  
He looked at her dejectedly, "Ah, yes! But you can't blame me for trying?" he smiled.  
  
"Of course!" Jaime smiled relieved he wasn't angry. "Why wouldn't you hit on a beautiful girl like me?"  
  
Jaime hoped that one day her friend would find that someone, but she knew it wasn't her. 


	14. fourteen

1.1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
2 Chapter Fourteen  
  
Elizabeth stared at the blur of colours. She sat on the strategically placed bench across from the wall of art. Elizabeth had been studying the colours, the strokes and techniques. No matter how many times she looked at each painting, it never escaped her that she was standing in front of a masterpiece. But at that moment, her thoughts drifted to other things.  
  
The past couple of weeks had flown by in a blur. Elizabeth had toured the little towns and villages surrounding Rome and had finally managed to explore Rome itself the other day. She couldn't fathom all that she'd seen and done. Jaime had been the guide and translator through it all. After staying with Luke a couple more days, they had left on their own, exploring the remote corners of the city.  
  
It's all been so wonderful. I can't believe Jaime lived here all those years.  
  
Over the week Elizabeth had heard all about Jaime's adventures here in Italy. She knew that her family still had houses across Italy and that Jaime had always loved it here. And although she had lived here for two years, she never really explored the country until she had met a friend. Elizabeth had heard a lot about the guy named Jason in their travels.  
  
How ironic, Elizabeth had thought. She had laughed at the fact that Jaime's guide to Italy in its vastness had been by a friend named Jason.  
  
Shouldn't it have been her? She shook her head, what was she thinking?  
  
Elizabeth had marvelled at all the little market places that Jaime took her to. They were like the places Jason had told her about. Elizabeth had hoped they would pass by a place where they blew glass, but the places they had passed didn't have what she was looking for, that perfect red vase. After the travels in Rome, they took a tour of the Vatican, hoping to catch a glance at the Pope. No such luck, they had laughed to each other.  
  
Travelling across the country, they finally made it to the Sistine Chapel. She had never been in a church so beautiful. Elizabeth could not even fathom what it took to be such a creative genius to create such a work of art. Jaime seemed to be quiet and reserved in the awe-inspiring building. She explained to Elizabeth that she had been there before, but it never quite hit her they way it did now. Jaime had told her that it was truly breathtaking what God can do through one person. Elizabeth agreed. She dreamed of having such an amazing gift to give to the world, that people would actually travel the world over to see it.  
  
After leaving that place, Elizabeth had wanted to take in a couple more art museums while in the city. Jaime seemed to hesitate at the idea. Elizabeth laughed at her and excused her from the opportunity to be more cultured and ponderous. She had dragged Jaime around to enough art museums. Jaime explained to her that she had friends here in the city and that she wanted to get together with them. The two had worked out a plan that left both happy. Elizabeth would tour the closest art museum and maybe sketch a little, and Jaime would have a couple of hours to visit her friends. They would eventually meet for supper at CuGias, a restaurant that was a few blocks down from the museum.  
  
Elizabeth looked at her watch. The museum would close soon and she should heading to the restaurant. Elizabeth packed up her sketchbook and pencils and placed them in her backpack. She took one last look at her favorite painting. It was a swirl of colours, logically placed, but seemingly illogical.  
  
She walked out and down the stairs leading to the museum. Slowly walking down the cobblestone street, Elizabeth took in the view. The sun was setting and the horizon was filled with lovely shades of crimson and hues of orange.  
  
Elizabeth was lost in thought as strolled down the street, but in the distance she heard a commotion. It was an open courtyard that stretched into the distance and a crowd had gathered. She had learned a few phrases from Jaime along the way, common things like, 'How much?' or 'Do you have a washroom?' Elizabeth loved the sound of the Italian language. But she couldn't make out what the voices were murmuring about, but she heard a woman's voice shouting and then silence.  
  
Elizabeth made her way towards the front of the crowd who had tightened their stances all craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the commotion. She inched her way forward and she suddenly heard a voice in the middle of the crowd call to her, "Elizabeth!"  
  
It was Jaime. Elizabeth could see her head bob up and down in the middle of the crowd. She made her way towards Jaime and she explained to Elizabeth that a woman had been attacked and the crowd had gathered around, some came to observe and some to try to help.  
  
"I was just going to meet you for supper and this happened!" Jaime exclaimed.  
  
"So why did the woman stop screaming?" Elizabeth asked as she and Jaime continued to make their way up front.  
  
"Oh! I think someone jumped onto the attacker, at least that's what I can tell from the 'oohs' and 'awwwws' of the disappointed crowd." Jaime replied.  
  
"That's horrible! I can't believe they're just standing here watching a woman get attacked." Elizabeth was furious.  
  
"Yeah, sometimes we see and hear the worst in people. It's not like it's a common occurrence in Italy." Jaime tried to explain, but the crowd had finally began to disperse as the rescuer restrained the attacker as the police finally stepped in to restore order.  
  
Elizabeth stared at the blonde man in a leather jacket with his back towards them release the attacker into the custody of the police. An older woman reached up on her tiptoes and kissed the man on the cheek, all the while speaking at a rapid pace. She watched Jaime continue to make her way up to the scene of the crime and a light of recognition flashed in her eyes. Elizabeth watched Jaime sprint towards the man and yell, "Jason!"  
  
The man turned his head in acknowledgement of his name. As he turned around, his chiselled face came into view and his startling blue eyes searched the crowd for the voice. Elizabeth gasped at the man she was staring at. Could it be? She stopped following Jaime and her feet froze. Jason?  
  
***  
  
Jaime felt her arms wrap around the old friend she thought she'd never see again. "Jason!" she exclaimed. She felt Jason's body tense for the impact of her flinging herself into his arms. The arms remained tense for a moment and then she felt his arms fold around her and warmly embrace her.  
  
"Jaime?" he asked, stunned.  
  
She let go and took a step back to look at him. He still looked as good as ever!  
  
"Yes! It's me Jason!" Jaime laughed.  
  
"When did you get back to Italy?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, I just got back at the beginning of the month! How about you? When did you get back? I heard you went back to the States." She grinned and hugged him again. "I missed you so much!"  
  
Jason smiled and sighed, "Yeah!"  
  
Jaime began to babble about how she had planned to head back to Italy after Scotland, but ended up in a town called Port Charles. She stopped when his face changed to one of recognition at the name.  
  
"Port Charles? Why were there?"  
  
Then Jaime finally recalled in the recesses of her mind that in the past Jason had mentioned Port Charles. "I don't know!" she pondered, "I guess it was an impulse. I felt led there. If you get what I mean?"  
  
Jason nodded and Jaime laughed. Of course he did.  
  
Jaime talked excitedly about her adventures in Port Charles and her new job. "It's going to be great. I feel like I can set roots there. And you know how hard that is for me."  
  
Jason seemed intrigued at the names she had mentioned and she was about to go on when she watched his eyes glance behind her and then suddenly settle there.  
  
"Jason?" she chimed, "What are you looking…" She stopped as she glanced behind her. Elizabeth! She had completely forgotten about her in her excitement over seeing Jason again.  
  
"I'm sooooooooooo sorry!" Jaime cried as she rushed over to Elizabeth. "I didn't mean to forget you here." She grabbed Elizabeth's stiff cold hand and dragged her over to Jason. Jaime noticed a slight hesitation at the move, but she chalked it up to being afraid to meet the man she raved so often about.  
  
"Don't worry! He's great! You'll love him." She whispered in her ear.  
  
"Jason, Elizabeth. Elizabeth, Jason." She introduced the two. Both of them seemed to stare at each other and if she didn't know any better, they both seemed stunned to see each other. "Um, hello?" Jaime waved her hand in front of Elizabeth's face.  
  
Elizabeth seemed to awaken, like from that of a dream. "Oh!" she smiled.  
  
Jason also looked uncomfortable. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Elizabeth." He nodded his head towards her.  
  
"Jason," Elizabeth responded breathily.  
  
"Um, guys, hate to interrupt this stunning conversation, but uh, do you know each other?" Jaime asked. It occurred to Jaime that they probably did if Jason worked for Sonny, since he did live in Port Charles.  
  
Then it dawned on her Jason was the friend that helped her through Lucky's death. Elizabeth hadn't mentioned his name, but Jaime could tell that the friend had become very close to her.  
  
Jaime looked at Jason and Elizabeth again and thought it odd that they reacted towards each other in this way. She tried to recall all that Elizabeth had mentioned about her friend. Jaime had listened as Elizabeth explained that they became very close and that he helped her become independent. She had also said he had left and Lucky had then came back. Elizabeth went on about how he returned and rescued her from the problem that was "Lucky", and relieved all that pressure that she felt when Lucky had been brainwashed, unbeknownst to her. Jaime knew that he had left again, Elizabeth and Lucky got together and then he came back for awhile causing some friction between Lucky and Elizabeth because she had lied about seeing her friend again. And then she left it at that.  
  
She pondered for a moment. Did she leave some stuff out? She knew that she, herself, wasn't immune to Jason's strength and intensity. Let alone his baby blue eyes.  
  
Did Jason and Elizabeth have more than a friendship? Was Elizabeth the reason why he didn't fall for her? 


	15. fifteen

1.1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
2 Chapter Fifteen  
  
He hadn't seen her for a year now. His mind didn't work in pictures, yet her face, her eyes, her smile; all of these images remained etched in his dreams. He would recall them during moments when he was completely alone; maybe sometimes when he was sitting in his simple small hotel room or while he motored across the country roads as fast as he could go. Jason would picture her. He couldn't remember the last time he had ever wanted to recall anything or anyone so much. Now she was standing here. Elizabeth. She had the same beautiful smile and big beautiful brown eyes.  
  
"Um, guys? I'm starving!" Jaime raved. She grabbed hold of Jason's hand and waved to Elizabeth. "Let's go have dinner!"  
  
"Oh…okay!" he smiled. He had forgotten the energy Jaime carried with her all the time. She never seemed to let things get her down, with the exception of her father. And Jason understood why she felt that way. Jason glanced over at Elizabeth, she had slowly began following behind them.  
  
~~  
  
"So!" Jaime smiled, "What do you guys think of the place?" Jaime gestured to the walls and lights that surrounded them.  
  
"It's nice," Jason replied. He didn't go out to restaurants very often. He usually just picked something up at the coffee shop down the street. Sometimes he almost forgot to eat. If Madia, the housekeeper at Sonny's cottage in the country didn't always remind him, sometimes Jason thought he would probably starve.  
  
Elizabeth laughed. Jason hadn't heard that song-like ring since the talk they had in the park, when she had chosen Lucky over Jason, if it had been a choice at all. Jason knew she was committed to Lucky. Maybe it hadn't been wise at all to tell her about his feelings for her, but he was glad he did, even if it did mean losing her. Jason had been withholding the truth of his growing attraction from her, afraid he would scare her. He had been afraid that she would hate him for it. But in the end, she admitted her attraction to him and then chose Lucky.  
  
He had never held anything against Lucky, if anything, he understood where he was coming from; starting a new life he didn't understand and living with something he had no control over. But Jason had learned to live with it and he knew Lucky would too. What he couldn't understand was why Elizabeth wanted to live with Lucky, she knew in her heart that both of them had changed, they were people that didn't complete each other.  
  
Before Lucky had died, they were like hand and glove. Elizabeth seemed to fit with Lucky; they understood each other and he didn't control her. After he came back, Lucky had changed into a person Elizabeth didn't know and neither did Jason. This made it harder for Jason to understand why Elizabeth would allow Lucky to walk all over her. He had watched her become a strong stubborn woman, who was determined to live her life. Jason no longer saw that woman. She had become a shadow of the vibrant woman resolved to see the world and change forever the way they looked at it with her paintings.  
  
"Jason?" he heard Elizabeth call. He looked up and found himself sitting across from Elizabeth, alone.  
  
"Where did Jaime go?"  
  
"She went to the ladies room. She told you, but you obviously were thinking about other things."  
  
"Yeah," he replied, staring into space. His thoughts raced through his mind. Images of Elizabeth and their time together seemed to linger in his mind and cause an ache in his heart.  
  
"Jason…where have you been?" Elizabeth asked.  
  
He hesitated telling her. He didn't want to frighten her with all the thoughts of past danger. It was resolved. Sorel was dead. "I took a trip around the world. I went to all the places I had planned to go to but never got the chance."  
  
"Wow! Will you tell me about them? Tell me the different places you've been too, racing around on your motorcycle." He could tell her excitement was somewhat forced.  
  
She seemed to draw nearer to him. The tips of her fingers almost touched his hand that lay on the table. "Yeah. Sure." His heart beat ever faster at the thought of touching her again. How many times did he dream of his lips drawing near hers, but never to getting there?  
  
His focus was distracted for a moment. He drew back as he watched Jaime stroll back to the table.  
  
"Hey! Did ya miss me?" she joked.  
  
"Of course!" Elizabeth laughed tensely.  
  
She sat down beside Jason. "So what did you guys talk about? Did you catch him up on Port Charles news?"  
  
"Um, no," Elizabeth said slowly, fidgeting with the napkin in front of her.  
  
"Elizabeth was just asking me about my trips," Jason explained, as she looked up to meet his eyes.  
  
"Well sounds like an interesting story. Where have you been Jason?"  
  
A couple of hours had passed and Jason felt like he had been talking the entire time. He had talked about his travels and skittered around the whole issue about why he had left Port Charles, a question that Jaime had asked. It seemed like an inquiry in some ways, so he eventually stopped answering and began asking questions. Sonny had taught him that. Elizabeth and Jaime talked about their travels in Italy and their visit with Luciano. Elizabeth then went on to describe the Sistine Chapel to Jason. He had missed that. He had missed seeing the wind. But Jason rebuked himself, he shouldn't be thinking about that. Elizabeth had already made her choice.  
  
"Well, I think it's time for me to get going," Jason sighed and pushed back his chair from the table.  
  
"Awww, no Jason! Come on! We haven't seen each other in forever!" Jaime pouted like a child.  
  
Jason laughed, "I know, but I really should get on the road!"  
  
"Jason do you really need to go? Couldn't you stay with us at Jaime's house?" Elizabeth quietly pleaded.  
  
He looked at Elizabeth's big round eyes his heart melted, and then looked at Jaime's pouty lips and laughed. "All right! I'll stay with you guys for a few days!"  
  
***  
  
Talk about tension.  
  
Jaime sat in between Jason and Elizabeth. Dinner had been pleasant, but there was no flow in the conversation. Actually, it had been quite abrupt and almost mechanical. Jason spoke without any heart about his trips. It seemed like there was no purpose or joy in the trips he took. He went from country to country just for the heck of it.  
  
What's wrong with him?  
  
This wasn't the same Jason she had met in Italy two years ago. Yes, he still didn't like to talk if he had nothing to say, but now there seemed to be a sadness, a heaviness about him. "I'm going to send Ledi for your bike," she offered up into the silence.  
  
"Oh. Are you sure he can handle it?" Jason asked.  
  
"Yeah, he's been practising on his dirt bike for a couple of years and this year, Francie let him get a motorcycle. It's not as powerful as yours, but he can handle it."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Then there was silence again. "So Elizabeth, did you get much time to sketch at the museum?"  
  
She looked up as if startled by the conversation. "Oh, uh, yeah. I mean, I got in a couple of good sketches. It might turn into a painting when I get home. I'm not sure." Elizabeth's head turned towards the hilly countryside.  
  
"Well, uh, Jason? Do you think you're up for a little match tonight?" she whispered.  
  
He grinned, "Do you really want to get hurt again?"  
  
Jaime smirked. The last time she and Jason sparred, she had twisted her ankle. "I'm better now. Much better," she challenged.  
  
Jason nodded his head. It was on tonight.  
  
She felt at ease now. He would talk to her tonight while they sparred. Or she hoped he would, anyway. They would always talk about their problems while they sparred. It was almost one of the top reasons they liked to spar with one another. They would get out their aggressions. Whatever problems they were having, well, actually most of the time, she was having, they would spar and he would talk it out with her. But this time, it was his turn.  
  
As the car pulled up into the huge driveway of the villa, Jason jumped out of the vehicle and helped Jaime out, then Elizabeth. Jaime couldn't help but see the cloud that seemed to lurk beneath the surface of Jason's blue eyes as he held Elizabeth's hand as she stepped out of the car.  
  
She's definitely what's troubling him. Definitely. 


	16. sixteen

1.1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
2 Chapter Sixteen  
  
Elizabeth's heart jumped as she felt Jason's warm hand grasping hers. She felt his gaze on her. As she looked up to thank him, those intense blue eyes that seemed to bear into her soul met her eyes.  
  
How much had she hurt this man? How many times had she hurt him?  
  
Her mouth opened to say something, but before she knew it he had closed the car door and strolled towards the house. She was left standing there speechless. Elizabeth knew how much she had hurt him.  
  
~~  
  
Elizabeth had stayed up with Jason and Jaime as they sat in the living room and reminisced. Part of her was filled with an unexplained jealousy of the intimate laughs and stories they shared. Jaime tried to include her in the conversation, but she just couldn't seem to find anything to say.  
  
Later on in the evening Elizabeth had excused herself and turned in. As she walked up the spiral staircase, she couldn't help but watch Jaime and Jason talk the way that she used to with Jason.  
  
What did I end up losing after choosing Lucky?  
  
***  
  
"So, what's up with you and Elizabeth?" Jaime asked as she threw a right jab towards Jason. He countered and threw a left hook, which she blocked.  
  
"What do you mean?" he huffed, his eyes watching the movement of her shoulders, concentrating on her next move.  
  
She kicked low and then in towards his mid-section. He jumped back and out of the way. "I mean, why do you two not talk? I mean, you guys had plenty of chances tonight."  
  
Her right hand went to block his left arm, while leaving her unprotected on her left side. He quickly countered and tagged her left side. "Oof! Good one!" she smiled, backing away and regrouping her strategy.  
  
"We just didn't have anything to say to each other." He lunged forward with a flurry of jabs and punches.  
  
As she gave him ground while he attacked, her body moved in time with his punches and her head bobbed and weaved down and around them. She finally made her move on one of his punches, grabbing his left forearm and she used his momentum to flip him. His body gave way with a thud. "Nice," he commented as he pushed off his hands above his head and kicked his body upright.  
  
They were huffing and puffing as they faced each other. Both of them had grins as wide as the Cheshire cat. "Good workout!" she said, walking towards the bench against the wall and grabbing a towel to throw at him.  
  
"Yeah. You've gotten better at reading me," he stated, wiping his sweaty brow with the towel. He flung the towel around his neck and walked towards the bench and sat down.  
  
"I've been practising," she smiled, also sitting down on the bench.  
  
"Jaime, what do you know about Lucky, Elizabeth and me?" he inquired.  
  
"Not much. A lot of it I guessed. I mean, she didn't tell me she knew you, but I kind of guessed that when I introduced you guys. Plus what I know is what she told me about this friend of hers she would mention from time to time. She told me how you would come in and out of town and that Lucky got jealous every time you showed up. I know you guys were really close, I could tell how much by the way she talked about you. I know she missed you this past year, with what happened with Lucky and all." She wiped her face with a towel she had grabbed from the pile sitting on the bench.  
  
Jason sighed, "I don't know. It's like things are different now. I used to be her escape and when Lucky got back she didn't need it anymore, except she really did. Not an escape, but a reason to see who Lucky was now, not then." He rubbed his face tiredly. "I don't think I did what she needed."  
  
"Jason, do you care for Elizabeth?" Jaime asked cautiously. She didn't want to be nosy, but she needed to know the situation between Elizabeth and Jason so she would cause unwanted awkwardness.  
  
"Yeah. Of course." His body leaned against the wall behind them and slumped over.  
  
"And you told her?"  
  
"Sort of," Jason replied his mind seemingly elsewhere.  
  
"And…" Jaime asked. She already knew the answer, but Jaime felt he needed to say it out loud. She knew he wouldn't talk about this to anybody. He'd keep it to himself. He wouldn't even talk about how devastating it was even to himself, the man without emotions.  
  
"She chose Lucky." He seemed restless and began fidgeting with the towel. "Look, it's done and over."  
  
"Yes, it is," Jaime agreed, "But you don't want to accept that do you? I mean, what happened when you heard that they didn't get married?"  
  
There was silence and then he replied, "Nothing," he stared blankly.  
  
"Not nothing Jason. I know that even inside of you, you must have felt some twinge of hope." Jaime lifted up her left leg and rested it on the bench while turning to face Jason. She grabbed his arm and made him face her. "You still love her?"  
  
He said nothing.  
  
And Jaime knew that she had her answer. "Why don't you go talk to her?" she urged.  
  
"Jaime, I can't talk about this right now," he spoke distantly, like he was deep in thought.  
  
She watched him get up and walk towards the change room. He slowed as he neared the door, leaned his body into the room while his hands pushed against the doorframe, his head hanging down. He seemed to release his frustration as he slapped his hand against the wall and walked into the room.  
  
Jaime slumped over on the bench and sighed.  
  
Yup. He still loves her.  
  
Part of her felt the sadness of her hopes of being the object of his affection fall away, but part of her couldn't help but smile. Jason in love? And with Elizabeth?  
  
How God works in mysterious ways! Who knew He would use her to bring these two together? Or at least she hoped she could. They are both stubborn, she thought, and lie to themselves about what they feel inside. Elizabeth knew that Lucky wasn't the one Elizabeth needed to be with right now, but how was she ever going to convince Elizabeth that Jason was?  
  
This was going to be quite a task, Jaime smiled to herself. 


	17. seventeen

Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
1 Chapter Seventeen  
  
Jaime brought out an unconventional side in Jason. He talked a lot more than he usually did, even with Elizabeth. Of course with Elizabeth, he knew he couldn't have told her his feelings before she was ready, before she had asked. Even then, Jason wasn't too sure that it was the right time.  
  
Elizabeth's relationship with Lucky made everything so complicated. And even though Jason always knew how to simplify things, this was one thing he couldn't simplify. Of course he could make the choices and decisions in his head very simply. But what Elizabeth was feeling was never easy or simple. She never looked out for herself, she always worried about everyone else. That was part of the attraction.  
  
Because of all that she's been through, her emotions had taken on a split personality. She had been living the life she had dreamed of when Lucky came back and then there was this irreconcilable life that she had been living when Lucky died.  
  
Jason sighed as he plunked himself down on the king-sized bed. There was nothing Jason could do. His moment with Elizabeth had passed under the sun. All he could do was try to live with it and deal with Elizabeth's decisions and try to let go of what he'd always felt growing from the moment she sang to him those horrible Christmas carols.  
  
He missed listening to the melodic rhythm of her voice. How she loved to talk about anything and everything. She filled the silences he'd been living with ever since his accident. "Elizabeth…" he sighed.  
  
***  
  
Elizabeth closed the door and leaned against it. She had wished she never left her room. What she had seen confirmed her thoughts about Jaime and Jason.  
  
Elizabeth had been lying in her bed, sleepless; tossing and turning she couldn't so much as nod off. So she went to find Jaime. She couldn't have sought Jason out after what she had done to him, but a part of her longed to have his strong arms wrap around her. They always made her feel safe. He always made her feel safe.  
  
Instead she had came down the stairs in search of her friend. The servants had all gone to bed, so she wandered aimlessly throughout the large house. Most of the rooms were like classic Italian architecture, very earthy and spacious. There were the odd Asian accents, but somehow they seemed to complement the rooms.  
  
Finally she heard what seemed to be fighting. As she walked down a dim hallway and down a flight of stairs Elizabeth spotted two figures fighting. She walked to the room over the creaking floor, but opted against barging in. Instead Elizabeth watched the figures. The people had finally moved into stronger lighting and she recognized Jaime and Jason.  
  
It had surprised Elizabeth to see Jaime fighting with Jason. She worried that Jason might actually hurt her, not on purpose, but maybe by accident. Elizabeth had made a step towards the two, but suddenly Jaime had grabbed Jason's arm and he was on the floor. Elizabeth felt her jaws drop. Wow!  
  
Elizabeth began to back away from the scene, covering her mouth as she yawned.  
  
Maybe she had only to wear herself out wandering through the house.  
  
As Elizabeth began to make her way towards the stairs, Jason and Jaime had stopped sparring and sat down on the bench against the wall. They seemed to be talking and very intensely.  
  
Jason never had talked to her in such away. Did they have a close relationship?  
  
Elizabeth was curious and continued to watch, her gaze peering around the doorframe. Jaime came closer to Jason, putting her hand on his arm. Elizabeth could feel her body tense.  
  
They were closer than she thought.  
  
Elizabeth closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against the frame.  
  
Suddenly she had realized the conversation had ceased and that Jason had got up and was walking towards her. Elizabeth looked over at Jaime, she looked upset and Elizabeth's gaze then fell on Jason's face. He looked frustrated. She turned to leave, but as she set her foot down in front of her, the floor creaked. Elizabeth took a step back and peeked around the door and Jason was only a few feet away from her. She hid her back against the wall and prayed that he wouldn't see her. Elizabeth heard his footsteps draw closer and she braced herself, as she knew he would be walking through that door any second. The footsteps passed by her. She breathed a sigh of relief, but then Elizabeth was startled by a loud slap against a wall. Jason had walked into the room just perpendicular to the stairwell. Elizabeth calmed herself and ran up the stairs and back to her room, not stopping to admire the rooms this time.  
  
Elizabeth made her way towards her bed. So many thoughts swirled around in her head.  
  
Did Jason like her? Why was he so mad? Were they talking about her? She admonished herself.  
  
Why are you so conceited? What was she going to do?  
  
Jason was her friend. And that was the last thought that passed through her mind as she drifted off to sleep. 


	18. eighteen

Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
Chapter Eighteen  
  
The morning arose with a dewy lightness. The sun's rays wafted through the balcony window and danced above Jaime, warming her face.  
  
Morning already? She stretched her body beneath the white down comforter. Oh, I'm sore!  
  
Jaime slid off the large comfy bed and headed straight for the shower. The heat of the water fell on her sleep-laden face. As the water pounded against her body, she smiled. Jaime welcomed the pressure of the water against her sore aching muscles. She had overdone it with Jason again.  
  
As Jaime wrapped the huge soft white towel around her, she heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" Jaime called.  
  
"Donnie signorina!" the older man replied.  
  
"Come in!" Jaime called as she quickly dried herself off and put on a pair of jeans and a hot pink tank top.  
  
Donnie walked in and greeted a cheery wet-haired Jaime as she poked her head around the door smiled. As she brought herself back into the bathroom facing the mirror, Jaime continued to dry her hair with a towel. "What is it Donnie?"  
  
"Um, Jaime, your Father is in Italy." Donnie shifted his weight from foot to foot. He knew she wouldn't enjoy this revelation.  
  
"What do you mean he's in Italy?" Jaime asked confused.  
  
"He's in Rome, Italy with Christian." Donnie looked straight in her eyes confirming what he said was true.  
  
"How can he be in Italy? He's supposed to be in Korea. He and my brother had a business deal there a couple of weeks ago? Dad's not supposed to be in Italy." Jaime's face paled at the news. "How did you find out?"  
  
Donnie seemed to hesitate in his answer. "He phoned this morning Miss." His face was scrunched into a frown. He knew how much she did not want to hear this news.  
  
"Why did he call here? There's no one here. Is he coming to Venice? If he is I should pack and tell Elizabeth and Jason we're leaving. I don't want to be here when he comes. I don't want him to know I was here." Jaime raced around the room, gather what few clothes she had unpacked from her suitcases. She never unpacked. Jaime knew that unexpected things happen and she needed to be prepared for a quick escape. She hoped Elizabeth hadn't unpacked all of her things. "Donnie tell Marina to help Elizabeth pack. We're leaving this afternoon. Also inform Jason, and no details Donnie!"  
  
Donnie reached out to grab her hand, which was stuffing a t-shirt into her suitcase. "Jaime. He knows you are here. He called to tell you to meet him in Rome."  
  
Jaime's already pale face faded to an ashen grey. "But…but how?"  
  
"He must have had you tracked. You know he always knows where you are."  
  
"No. I was very careful." Jaime sat down on the unmade bed, her hair dripping ever so slightly upon her shoulders.  
  
"Jaime. You know your father." Donnie looked at her sympathetically.  
  
They both knew that no one understood the watchful eye of her father more than Donnie. His life had been a simple one until Lee Yun Nam had hired Donnie as a driver. He had been desperate to feed his starving family and Mr. Nam had been ever so generous in his wages to Donnie. But little did Donnie understand what it was to be the driver of the infamous Nam family. Donnie had been taught to watch, and forget. He had been taught to do and not think. And once when Donnie had the audacity to accidentally let something slip. Donnie had paid the consequences. Or should Jaime say, his family did.  
  
Jaime knew every sordid detail of her father's activity. She had made it a mission to know. When she was a child, Jaime had always adored the strong loving father who'd protected her from anything and anyone. But then came the day when visiting Donnie's little baby girl at his garden cottage there was a knock at the door. Jaime watched as her father's "bodyguards" dragged Donnie and his wife towards the House. They hadn't seen Jaime because she knew to hide if anyone were to come into the cottage. Jaime had been forbidden to consort with the help.  
  
She had been curious why Lien and Kamei would drag Donnie and his wife to the house. Donnie was never allowed in the House. Jaime sneaked passed the robotic guards and ran into the house and up the stairs to the rafters where her favorite hiding spot was. She could see into the study without her father seeing her. Jaime really never had any use to sit there. She was always way too restless to sit and listen to her father's boring conversations with strange men. But she had too much interest in why Donnie and his wife were "called".  
  
That was the day where she learned what her father was capable of. Jaime watched her father interrogate Donnie about some information that had leaked out into the village. It was a small mistake. Donnie had accidentally let it slip about a certain package being relayed from Italy to Hong Kong to a villager. Jaime watched as her father's controlled anger, which she was somewhat familiar with but never experienced. He had never directed at anyone in his family or close to him. She watched as her father gave an order, Jaime couldn't exactly hear what it was and Kamei dragged Mrs. Bartolli to her father.  
  
Mrs. Bartolli or Natie, as Jaime would always call her, was like a second mother. Her own mother had taken ill when she was about 12 and died when she turned just 15. Jaime always knew that her mother would have approved of the relationship she had built with Donnie and his wife. She was kind and loving. The one thing Jaime remembered the about her mother was the fact that she would always have time to talk to her and to hug her, even when she didn't need it. Her mother wouldn't have wanted her to be alone.  
  
So Jaime watched, as her father seemed to sneer at Donnie as his hand caressed Natie's face. Then he struck her. Jaime had never seen her father hit a person in her life. She knew him to be a loving father. Yes, overprotective at times, but never violent. Jaime heard him mumble something and the next thing she knew Jaime watched as Lien twisted Natie's arm behind her as she screamed in pain, begging for Lien to stop.  
  
Jaime cringed as she continued to watch Lien twist her arm further back and watch Donnie's face as he cried out in anguish. He tried to stop him, but her father struck him in the face. And at that moment, Donnie's eye had caught a light movement from the rafters. As he looked up, Jaime knew she had been spotted. She moved quickly out of the rafters and ran to her room.  
  
And that was the day, she found out what kind of man he was. That was the day Jaime hated her Father.  
  
"Donnie," Jaime spoke as if waking from a dream, "I'm not going."  
  
Donnie sat beside her and put his arm around her. It was as if he knew what she was thinking about. "Mia, you must go."  
  
Jaime stiffened and stood facing the sitting man who'd become her father. "Fine," she stated detached from emotion. "I'll pack my things and go to Rome," she spat, "Tell Marina that Jason and Elizabeth are remaining here until my return. Donnie, book me a flight to Rome leaving this afternoon and returning three days from now. That should be long enough to satisfy my father."  
  
She turned around and walked to the bathroom. She had to dry her matted hair. "Donnie," she whispered, on the verge of tears, "I'm sorry." And with that Jaime ran into the bathroom and closed the door leaving Donnie standing in the middle of the room with tears in his eye.  
  
"Lei non sono l'un che ha bisogno di esere perdonato, bella." You are not the one who needs to be forgiven, beautiful.  
  
***  
  
Elizabeth had barely had time to shower and put her makeup on before Jaime came strolling into her room with a maid. She could tell something was wrong with Jaime. She wasn't smiling and she looked worried, no, angry. "What's the matter Jaime?" she asked.  
  
Jaime was talking to the maid in Italian at a rapid pace; it took a minute before she realized Elizabeth had asked a question. "Huh? Oh! Sorry Elizabeth. No. Nothing's wrong. But there is a change of plans. I have to go back to Rome for a couple of days. Actually three days." She turned around and continued on in her barrage of Italian instructions to Marina, Elizabeth tried to recall the maid's name. "Why?"  
  
"Something unexpected came up in Rome, and I have to talk to someone there," she replied hesitantly.  
  
She was being eerily vague. Elizabeth didn't know what to make of it. "Well, what's happening with our trip then?" Elizabeth felt a little perturbed at the unexpected and unexplained trip.  
  
"Elizabeth, I'm sorry I can't explain why I have to go to Rome, but I just can't."  
  
Jaime seemed much more upset than Elizabeth realized.  
  
"Look, it'll only be a few days. Then we can resume our Italian tour!" she attempted to smile, but Elizabeth thought it looked more like a grimace.  
  
"Why don't I just go with you?" Elizabeth suggested.  
  
"No!" Jaime stated very firmly. "Jason's still here and I've talked to him about everything. He's going to show you around Venice and even take you to a little glassblower's stand in the Market Square. He said he'd promised you that he'd show it to you one day."  
  
Elizabeth thought about that day; about the piece of red glass, which he'd given her. She didn't feel right taking such a memory from him. And then Jason called it a "hunk of glass". Elizabeth shivered at the memory. He'd tried to show her how it just shone like a stained glass window in the right lighting, but they'd been stuck in the studio. Jason had tried to apologize. Elizabeth wouldn't let him. The moment was perfect, thought Elizabeth. "Yeah. I remember." Elizabeth nodded, shaking herself out of her reverie.  
  
"Good. 'Cuz I have to leave in an hour." Jaime had given a short explanation to Elizabeth about how she had run of the house. She could ask Marina for anything and Donnie would drive her and Jason anywhere. "Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it!" she laughed, this time a genuine smile appeared on her face.  
  
"Are you sure you're all right?" Elizabeth asked as she hugged Jaime goodbye.  
  
"Hey, I'm the one whose got copyright on that question remember?" Jaime laughed.  
  
"Hey, I'm serious. Are you all right? And honestly."  
  
Jaime looked her in the eye. "I'll be fine." Jaime's eyes wavered from Elizabeth's for a second.  
  
She's lying. Elizabeth was worried. 


	19. nineteen

1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
1.1 Chapter Twenty  
  
Jason's mind focused in on the long curving stretches of country road. In his peripheral vision he could see blurs of greens and browns mixed in with the blue of the sky.  
  
"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!" Elizabeth screamed. He felt her one arm drop from his side and another tighten around his waist.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye he could see an arm flying above his head, flailing in the wind. At that glance Jason laughed and stepped on the gas. Their bodies surged ahead into the horizon.  
  
~~  
  
Jason swung his leg off the bike and slid the helmet off his head. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked over at Elizabeth. She had already hopped off the bike and replaced the vase in the compartment with her helmet. "That was great!" Elizabeth giggled.  
  
Jason smiled. He had missed her smile. "Yeah. It was." He began walking towards the house and Elizabeth followed.  
  
"Jason, can we talk?"  
  
Jason turned and nodded, "We can always talk Elizabeth."  
  
Adjusting the path he was taking, he led Elizabeth into the small garden behind the house. They came to a fair-sized tree which had a garden table surrounded by four chairs shaded under its hanging boughs. He gestured to the chair on his left and watched Elizabeth sit down placing the vase on the table. Jason then took a seat opposite Elizabeth. "What is it?" he asked concerned.  
  
"Jason…are we okay?" she asked point blank.  
  
"What do you mean?" Jason didn't quite know what to say. He thought he'd been treating her the way she wanted.  
  
"Jason, are we still friends?"  
  
"Yeah. Of course."  
  
Friends. He had always been just a friend. It seemed destined that he would remain that way. He looked at Elizabeth and his throat seemed to close up on him. His eyes closed, trying to leave behind the dreams he had once hoped to live with her. "Yes," he said breathily.  
  
***  
  
At that Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief. Even though everything seemed to be the way they used to be, there was just no sense of ease between them. She looked at him in the eye and she saw the distance between them. "I'm sorry Jason," she apologized.  
  
He stared at her like he could see right through her. "You don't have to be sorry. You made your decision."  
  
Elizabeth didn't know what to say. At one time Jason's friendship had meant everything to her. He had been her strength…or at least had helped her find her strength. He had been a part of the woman she had become. "Jason…do you want to be friends?"  
  
Elizabeth knew he would always be her friend, even if it wasn't exactly what he wanted. He loved her that much. She had never had a relationship like the one she had with Jason. He never presumed anything and always asked what she wanted. Jason talked to her like she was strong and smart enough to make her own decisions.  
  
Jason didn't say anything. He had understood what she was asking.  
  
"I know you wanted something from me when you left Port Charles for the last time and I couldn't give it to you. Can you really tell me that you can forget all the things you felt for me and still be my friend?"  
  
He slouched back into the garden chair and rubbed his eyes. "I won't lie to you Elizabeth, you mean something to me. You always will. I will always think of you as something more than a friend, but I accepted your choice when you told me that you loved Lucky.  
  
"So you're not going to tell me 'I told you so'?" she asked resting her chin on the palm of her hand.  
  
"No," he laughed. He sat up and put his hand on hers. His face had grown somber, "Elizabeth, I only want the best for you. I want you to be happy and if being with Lucky would make you happy, then I'll be happy for you. I have to say I was wrong about Lucky. After his attacks, I was afraid he was going to hurt you Elizabeth, but he didn't."  
  
"No he didn't," Elizabeth said hesitantly. "Not in the way that you mean, anyway." Elizabeth got up from her chair and leaned against the truck of the tree. "But did he hurt me in a way that I didn't think he would again."  
  
Elizabeth had felt used after finding out that Lucky didn't love her. She felt dirty after thinking about how he had touched her and used her that first night back at Kelly's. Elizabeth shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of those thoughts.  
  
"Elizabeth," Jason's voice so tender, whispered in her ear. He had gotten up without her noticing and stood behind her.  
  
She turned and looked into his eyes. "Oh, Jason. Why did he do that?" she cried and buried her head into his warm chest. Elizabeth felt her body begin to expel all the emotions she had thought she'd dealt with. Elizabeth felt his arms slowly close around her and rock her gently until her sobs had subsided.  
  
***  
  
The days flew by after that day in the garden. Jason had felt Elizabeth open up to him once more. She hadn't told him everything in detail, which suited Jason fine. What he knew of the situation he'd heard from Sonny and now Elizabeth. It had taken her two days for her to talk about the wedding. Or almost wedding.  
  
In between that time, they had visited local museums and Elizabeth explained the pictures to him and the sculptures and the feelings they evoked. They had lunch in little corner cafes and he had taken her on several motorcycle rides in between.  
  
Now they were sitting outside again, but this time on the patio, facing the gorgeous vast countryside. They could even see the little villages dispersed in between the patches of trees.  
  
"I came back like we had planned when Helena's plan had been averted. You have no idea how excited I was when Nikolas had let me know that everything was okay and then hearing Lucky's voice. A natural disaster couldn't have kept me from coming home. I waited for Lucky in his room and he was so surprised. I asked him if he remembered…and all he could do was kiss me…sorry," Elizabeth apologized as Jason lower is head at the mention of anything intimate between herself and Lucky.  
  
He shook his head and motioned her to go on. "Well, we made love that night and everything seemed to be going well. I mean, it seemed like things were back to normal. If you can call anything we've been through and how we've lived normal anymore."  
  
"How did you find out?"  
  
"Who else? My wonderful and helpful maid of honor," she said cattily, "Gia.  
  
Jason looked at her in disbelief. "Gia?" he questioned.  
  
"Yes. Since Em was away recovering, I asked Gia. I mean, I understood her a little bit more after the Helena fiasco. I know she does really love Nikolas and so her character can't really be that horrible. I can't say much else for her personality though."  
  
"Wow!" Jason exclaimed.  
  
"Jason, did you go help Emily?"  
  
Jason nodded his head. "Yeah, I was there for a few months before physio and then when she started to walk on her own. She's doing really well." He smiled at the thought of Emily. He had been actually frightened when he'd heard what had happened with Em. Jason couldn't bear to think what he would without her.  
  
"I'm glad. I haven't talked with her for a while. Were you there when she got together with her new boyfriend?"  
  
Jason remained silent for a moment. "I was there…in a way."  
  
Elizabeth looked at him strangely.  
  
"Tell me what happened next?" Jason changed the subject.  
  
Elizabeth looked seriously tired at the thought of telling the ending of her story. "Well, I didn't believe Gia at first, I thought she was trying to mess up my wedding. So I left the room. I came back eventually and told her that I'd forgiven her or the jealousy or whatever her problem was and started the wedding procession. But when I got to the altar and we were saying our vows…" her voice faltered.  
  
Jason grabbed her hand and tried to comfort her. "It's all right. Tell me what happened."  
  
"I looked into his eyes and I couldn't for the life of me find the love that he had been ready profess to me. I confronted him on it. He was all set to lie, but I forced him to tell me the truth. In front of the closest family and friends, Lucky told me the truth. He hadn't remembered." Tears were welling up in her eyes; she took her hand away from Jason's warm grasp and wiped away the tears that were threatening to fall. "I don't know why I'm still so upset about it. I got over it!" she laughed.  
  
Jason looked at her and knew that she was lying to herself and to him. "Obviously you didn't. Elizabeth after something like that, you don't just get over it in the span of a month. I mean, you loved Lucky in the deepest and most loyal way. You still love him."  
  
Elizabeth looked at Jason and closed her eyes. Wiping her nose with the tissue in her hand. She'd been carrying one of those around with her for the past two days. Especially when they'd begin talking about the wedding.  
  
"Jason, I told him it was over: the wedding and the whole charade. I just gave up. And that's when I met Jaime."  
  
"She comes along at good times huh?" Jason laughed.  
  
"Yeah. She listened just like you. No judgement, just acceptance ya know?" she sniffled, dabbing her runny nose.  
  
He couldn't agree more. Jaime came along when he'd been lost in what he was supposed to be doing. He had to stay away from PC, but he was Sonny's right hand man. It felt awkward to be away from his friend, both of them. He'd been touring Italy for a while. Jason knew though, that his heart belonged in Port Charles.  
  
At first Jaime was a distraction for Jason. Her effervescent personality made him smile something he hadn't done since he arrived in Italy. They had fun touring around Italy. It was good for him to at least get to show someone around Italy, even if it wasn't Elizabeth. Jason then found out who she was. She was having a tough time with her family and their "business". And then they both realized they lived in the same world. Not quite imprisoned by it, but shackled to it with a long leash. He had chosen his shackles. Jaime had been born into it.  
  
"Jason, what do you know about Jaime?" Elizabeth inquired.  
  
"The same things you know about her. With her, what you see is what you get."  
  
"I highly doubt that," Elizabeth said.  
  
"Why?" Jason didn't want to get into something he couldn't reveal to her. Jaime had trusted him not to reveal who she was or who her family was.  
  
"Well, the other night I saw you guys fighting," she explained.  
  
"When?" Jason couldn't remember fighting with Jaime.  
  
"Well, it wasn't real fighting. You were in the lower basement room…" she was trying to find the words.  
  
"Oh, we were sparring!" Jason explained.  
  
"Yeah. That's what I meant!" she laughed. "Well, that certainly doesn't come out of her personality if you know what I mean…"  
  
"I think you just have to get to know her a little more Elizabeth. I think you will see her strength."  
  
"I know she's strong," Elizabeth stuttered. "Jason, how long have you known her?"  
  
Jason thought back, counting the months. "I think around seven to eight months."  
  
"Jason, I know you guys are friends…" she seemed to hesitate when finishing her thought. "Are you guys or have you guys…I mean, are you more than friends?"  
  
Jason was taken back in surprise. He was about to answer when Donnie rushed in, interrupting their conversation. 


	20. 20

1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
1.1 Chapter Twenty  
  
Jason's mind focused in on the long curving stretches of country road. In his peripheral vision he could see blurs of greens and browns mixed in with the blue of the sky.  
  
"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!" Elizabeth screamed. He felt her one arm drop from his side and another tighten around his waist.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye he could see an arm flying above his head, flailing in the wind. At that glance Jason laughed and stepped on the gas. Their bodies surged ahead into the horizon.  
  
~~  
  
Jason swung his leg off the bike and slid the helmet off his head. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked over at Elizabeth. She had already hopped off the bike and replaced the vase in the compartment with her helmet. "That was great!" Elizabeth giggled.  
  
Jason smiled. He had missed her smile. "Yeah. It was." He began walking towards the house and Elizabeth followed.  
  
"Jason, can we talk?"  
  
Jason turned and nodded, "We can always talk Elizabeth."  
  
Adjusting the path he was taking, he led Elizabeth into the small garden behind the house. They came to a fair-sized tree which had a garden table surrounded by four chairs shaded under its hanging boughs. He gestured to the chair on his left and watched Elizabeth sit down placing the vase on the table. Jason then took a seat opposite Elizabeth. "What is it?" he asked concerned.  
  
"Jason…are we okay?" she asked point blank.  
  
"What do you mean?" Jason didn't quite know what to say. He thought he'd been treating her the way she wanted.  
  
"Jason, are we still friends?"  
  
"Yeah. Of course."  
  
Friends. He had always been just a friend. It seemed destined that he would remain that way. He looked at Elizabeth and his throat seemed to close up on him. His eyes closed, trying to leave behind the dreams he had once hoped to live with her. "Yes," he said breathily.  
  
***  
  
At that Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief. Even though everything seemed to be the way they used to be, there was just no sense of ease between them. She looked at him in the eye and she saw the distance between them. "I'm sorry Jason," she apologized.  
  
He stared at her like he could see right through her. "You don't have to be sorry. You made your decision."  
  
Elizabeth didn't know what to say. At one time Jason's friendship had meant everything to her. He had been her strength…or at least had helped her find her strength. He had been a part of the woman she had become. "Jason…do you want to be friends?"  
  
Elizabeth knew he would always be her friend, even if it wasn't exactly what he wanted. He loved her that much. She had never had a relationship like the one she had with Jason. He never presumed anything and always asked what she wanted. Jason talked to her like she was strong and smart enough to make her own decisions.  
  
Jason didn't say anything. He had understood what she was asking.  
  
"I know you wanted something from me when you left Port Charles for the last time and I couldn't give it to you. Can you really tell me that you can forget all the things you felt for me and still be my friend?"  
  
He slouched back into the garden chair and rubbed his eyes. "I won't lie to you Elizabeth, you mean something to me. You always will. I will always think of you as something more than a friend, but I accepted your choice when you told me that you loved Lucky.  
  
"So you're not going to tell me 'I told you so'?" she asked resting her chin on the palm of her hand.  
  
"No," he laughed. He sat up and put his hand on hers. His face had grown somber, "Elizabeth, I only want the best for you. I want you to be happy and if being with Lucky would make you happy, then I'll be happy for you. I have to say I was wrong about Lucky. After his attacks, I was afraid he was going to hurt you Elizabeth, but he didn't."  
  
"No he didn't," Elizabeth said hesitantly. "Not in the way that you mean, anyway." Elizabeth got up from her chair and leaned against the truck of the tree. "But did he hurt me in a way that I didn't think he would again."  
  
Elizabeth had felt used after finding out that Lucky didn't love her. She felt dirty after thinking about how he had touched her and used her that first night back at Kelly's. Elizabeth shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of those thoughts.  
  
"Elizabeth," Jason's voice so tender, whispered in her ear. He had gotten up without her noticing and stood behind her.  
  
She turned and looked into his eyes. "Oh, Jason. Why did he do that?" she cried and buried her head into his warm chest. Elizabeth felt her body begin to expel all the emotions she had thought she'd dealt with. Elizabeth felt his arms slowly close around her and rock her gently until her sobs had subsided.  
  
***  
  
The days flew by after that day in the garden. Jason had felt Elizabeth open up to him once more. She hadn't told him everything in detail, which suited Jason fine. What he knew of the situation he'd heard from Sonny and now Elizabeth. It had taken her two days for her to talk about the wedding. Or almost wedding.  
  
In between that time, they had visited local museums and Elizabeth explained the pictures to him and the sculptures and the feelings they evoked. They had lunch in little corner cafes and he had taken her on several motorcycle rides in between.  
  
Now they were sitting outside again, but this time on the patio, facing the gorgeous vast countryside. They could even see the little villages dispersed in between the patches of trees.  
  
"I came back like we had planned when Helena's plan had been averted. You have no idea how excited I was when Nikolas had let me know that everything was okay and then hearing Lucky's voice. A natural disaster couldn't have kept me from coming home. I waited for Lucky in his room and he was so surprised. I asked him if he remembered…and all he could do was kiss me…sorry," Elizabeth apologized as Jason lower is head at the mention of anything intimate between herself and Lucky.  
  
He shook his head and motioned her to go on. "Well, we made love that night and everything seemed to be going well. I mean, it seemed like things were back to normal. If you can call anything we've been through and how we've lived normal anymore."  
  
"How did you find out?"  
  
"Who else? My wonderful and helpful maid of honor," she said cattily, "Gia.  
  
Jason looked at her in disbelief. "Gia?" he questioned.  
  
"Yes. Since Em was away recovering, I asked Gia. I mean, I understood her a little bit more after the Helena fiasco. I know she does really love Nikolas and so her character can't really be that horrible. I can't say much else for her personality though."  
  
"Wow!" Jason exclaimed.  
  
"Jason, did you go help Emily?"  
  
Jason nodded his head. "Yeah, I was there for a few months before physio and then when she started to walk on her own. She's doing really well." He smiled at the thought of Emily. He had been actually frightened when he'd heard what had happened with Em. Jason couldn't bear to think what he would without her.  
  
"I'm glad. I haven't talked with her for a while. Were you there when she got together with her new boyfriend?"  
  
Jason remained silent for a moment. "I was there…in a way."  
  
Elizabeth looked at him strangely.  
  
"Tell me what happened next?" Jason changed the subject.  
  
Elizabeth looked seriously tired at the thought of telling the ending of her story. "Well, I didn't believe Gia at first, I thought she was trying to mess up my wedding. So I left the room. I came back eventually and told her that I'd forgiven her or the jealousy or whatever her problem was and started the wedding procession. But when I got to the altar and we were saying our vows…" her voice faltered.  
  
Jason grabbed her hand and tried to comfort her. "It's all right. Tell me what happened."  
  
"I looked into his eyes and I couldn't for the life of me find the love that he had been ready profess to me. I confronted him on it. He was all set to lie, but I forced him to tell me the truth. In front of the closest family and friends, Lucky told me the truth. He hadn't remembered." Tears were welling up in her eyes; she took her hand away from Jason's warm grasp and wiped away the tears that were threatening to fall. "I don't know why I'm still so upset about it. I got over it!" she laughed.  
  
Jason looked at her and knew that she was lying to herself and to him. "Obviously you didn't. Elizabeth after something like that, you don't just get over it in the span of a month. I mean, you loved Lucky in the deepest and most loyal way. You still love him."  
  
Elizabeth looked at Jason and closed her eyes. Wiping her nose with the tissue in her hand. She'd been carrying one of those around with her for the past two days. Especially when they'd begin talking about the wedding.  
  
"Jason, I told him it was over: the wedding and the whole charade. I just gave up. And that's when I met Jaime."  
  
"She comes along at good times huh?" Jason laughed.  
  
"Yeah. She listened just like you. No judgement, just acceptance ya know?" she sniffled, dabbing her runny nose.  
  
He couldn't agree more. Jaime came along when he'd been lost in what he was supposed to be doing. He had to stay away from PC, but he was Sonny's right hand man. It felt awkward to be away from his friend, both of them. He'd been touring Italy for a while. Jason knew though, that his heart belonged in Port Charles.  
  
At first Jaime was a distraction for Jason. Her effervescent personality made him smile something he hadn't done since he arrived in Italy. They had fun touring around Italy. It was good for him to at least get to show someone around Italy, even if it wasn't Elizabeth. Jason then found out who she was. She was having a tough time with her family and their "business". And then they both realized they lived in the same world. Not quite imprisoned by it, but shackled to it with a long leash. He had chosen his shackles. Jaime had been born into it.  
  
"Jason, what do you know about Jaime?" Elizabeth inquired.  
  
"The same things you know about her. With her, what you see is what you get."  
  
"I highly doubt that," Elizabeth said.  
  
"Why?" Jason didn't want to get into something he couldn't reveal to her. Jaime had trusted him not to reveal who she was or who her family was.  
  
"Well, the other night I saw you guys fighting," she explained.  
  
"When?" Jason couldn't remember fighting with Jaime.  
  
"Well, it wasn't real fighting. You were in the lower basement room…" she was trying to find the words.  
  
"Oh, we were sparring!" Jason explained.  
  
"Yeah. That's what I meant!" she laughed. "Well, that certainly doesn't come out of her personality if you know what I mean…"  
  
"I think you just have to get to know her a little more Elizabeth. I think you will see her strength."  
  
"I know she's strong," Elizabeth stuttered. "Jason, how long have you known her?"  
  
Jason thought back, counting the months. "I think around seven to eight months."  
  
"Jason, I know you guys are friends…" she seemed to hesitate when finishing her thought. "Are you guys or have you guys…I mean, are you more than friends?"  
  
Jason was taken back in surprise. He was about to answer when Donnie rushed in, interrupting their conversation. 


	21. 21

1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
2 Chapter Twenty One  
  
Jason looked at Donnie's pale face. He knew something was wrong. The older gentleman's eyes darted to Elizabeth. Jason excused himself from the seat.  
  
Donnie began whispering in frantic desperation. Something was mentioned about Jaime, which Jason couldn't quite make out. "What?"  
  
Donnie pulled on Jason's arm urging the conversation to be taken inside. Jason looked back at Elizabeth who'd been quietly observing the scene. "Excuse me Elizabeth." She nodded her permission for a pause in their conversation.  
  
Putting an arm around the man's shoulder, Jason listened intently to what Donnie had to say. "Go ahead," Jason said signalling that they had enough privacy to talk. As they walked into the living room, Donnie continued to wring his hands.  
  
"Mr. Morgan…Jaime's coming home today."  
  
Jason saw no undue stress at the news. "Yes, what's the matter?"  
  
Donnie paced the room. "She was supposed to arrive at the airport at 11:15 this morning."  
  
Jason looked down at his watch. He knew that noon had been a half an hour ago. "Maybe she's running late," he offered. It was 1 p.m.  
  
"Signor," he grimaced, "Jaime wasn't at the airport and her bags had already arrived."  
  
Donnie pointed to the suitcase that sat in foyer. This concerned Jason a little. "Did they announce a delay in the flight?" Jason racked his brain to think up possible scenarios where Jaime wouldn't arrive in the past two hours.  
  
Donnie shook his head. "Mr. Morgan, she would have informed me. Jaime had a cell phone."  
  
The older man sat himself down on the couch. He was breathing hard. Jason knew he was more than worried at this point. And Jason had to agree. This seemed more like a planned situation than some mishap circumstance.  
  
"Jason?" Elizabeth's voice seemed to echo through the living room.  
  
Both Jason and Donnie's head snapped up to see Elizabeth standing before them. "Elizabeth? Is there something wrong?" Jason asked.  
  
"No. But I think I should be asking you the same question!" she exclaimed, looking at the somewhat alarmed servant.  
  
Jason felt Donnie's eyes bore into him. Get rid of her, they seemed to say. "Elizabeth, everything's fine. Jaime's just late."  
  
Elizabeth seemed to study both men. "I don't think so. If something's wrong with Jaime, you guys have to tell me!"  
  
Donnie rose from his seat, "Signorina, please! I try not to be rude, but I need to discuss something with Signor Morgan. Privately."  
  
Donnie seemed to get his point across. Elizabeth nodded and backed away from the situation. Donnie sat back down. "Can you help me signor?"  
  
Jason nodded his head. They had to find out if Jaime did indeed get on the plane. Jason needed to know if anyone saw her set foot on the aircraft. "Donnie, you need to phone Jaime's father."  
  
The old man seemed to cringe at the idea. "I cannot do that. He hates me for Jaime's desire to leave the family."  
  
Jason kneeled before the man, "Look, we need to know if she got safely onto the plane or if she was taken somewhere in the airport and they're still in Rome."  
  
Donnie nodded. "Fine. If it will find Jaime."  
  
***  
  
The phone rang at the Nam residence. A maid ran to pick up the phone. "Hello?"  
  
"Hello, is Mr. Nam there?" a man's voice asked.  
  
"Yes. Just a minute," the maid answered. She set down the phone and left the study.  
  
Mr Nam was a distinguished man. He had jet-black hair with streaks of grey. "Hello?" Lee answered with a slight accent.  
  
"Mr. Lee?" the man asked.  
  
"Yes. Who is this?" he sighed.  
  
"This is Donnie, your driver in Venice?"  
  
The mention of Donnie's name sent a quiver of fury through his body. "Yes," he grimaced. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"I was wondering if you knew if Jaime left for Venice already?"  
  
Lee stifled a chuckle. Apparently my daughter's "second father" can't keep track of his "daughter". "Why? Don't you know? She left this morning at nine. My driver dropped her off at the airport."  
  
There was a pause on the other end. He thought he might have heard some whispering. "Why do you ask Donnie?" Lee asked suspiciously.  
  
"Oh," Donnie replied. "Did your driver's see if she got on the plane, or did they just drop her off?"  
  
Lee began to get irritated. "Why are you asking these questions? Isn't she already at the airport waiting for you?" He looked at his watch. She'd probably been waiting more than a couple of hours by now.  
  
"Oh, uh, yes. Of course," he stammered.  
  
Lee knew something was wrong. "Has she contacted you?"  
  
"Why, of course," he replied.  
  
Too quickly, thought Lee.  
  
"Uh, so Jaime was on the plane right?" Donnie asked for the second time.  
  
"I do not know," Lee unwillingly admitted.  
  
"Tell me!" he demanded, "Has someone hurt Jaime?"  
  
Donnie's silence spoke volumes. Suddenly he decided to reply, "No. Okay. Ciao!"  
  
The hum of the dial tone rung in his ears. Lee rushed over to his library, shouting for one of his men. "Lien!"  
  
The large Asian man entered the library. "Yes sir?"  
  
"I need you to tell me all that you saw when Jaime left for Venice."  
  
Lee stood behind the desk in the library, moving papers around, trying to keep himself from looking fearful and anxious.  
  
"Sir. We followed her into the airport secretly. Jaime went through the gate and we didn't see her again," he explained.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked anxiously.  
  
"When she went through the door, we lost her. We tried to find her in the crowd, but I think she knew we were following her and was trying to ditch us."  
  
Lee pondered over that thought for a moment. He could see her doing that to his men. She'd done it before.  
  
"Lien," he paused a moment, "I need you to find out all you can about who saw her last in that airport and if there was any unusual commotion. She hasn't arrived in Venice and we don't know what people could have done to her."  
  
Lien stood before Lee and nodded, bowing to his boss.  
  
Lee commanded, "Quickly!"  
  
Lien left the room and Lee sat down in his leather bound chair. His fist clenched at the thought of his daughter hurt and alone. The scenarios flashed through his mind.  
  
If anyone has taken my daughter, so help me, they will pay. 


	22. 22

1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
2 Chapter Twenty Two  
  
"Ugh." Jaime's head was pounding. All she could see was black. Jaime was felt her head and found herself blindfolded. She finally got enough strength to try lifting her head. Jaime was lying on a floor of hard cement. She could feel the grit of dirt underneath her cheeks. Hard plastic fasteners bound her hands. It was very effective she couldn't move her hands without hurting her wrists.  
  
Her legs were also tied together. She struggled to get herself into an upright position. Once sitting up, Jaime groped behind her for some leverage. She backed herself up until she reached a rough beam that was made of steel. Jaime propped herself up against the beam and rested her pounding head.  
  
What happened?  
  
Jaime did not remember a thing. The last thing she remembered was being so happy to get back to Venice. She also remembered losing her father's goons in the airport. Everything after that was blank. "Is anyone there?" Jaime asked into the darkness.  
  
Silence. Jaime knew her Father wasn't happy about her leaving Rome and not returning to Korea with him and Christian but he'd accepted it. That was about the only good thing about her Father, he never forced anything upon her especially if she was determined and dead set against it.  
  
The two-day visit with her father hadn't gone very well. It wasn't a minute before she stepped into his study that he had begun with a barrage of guilt trips about leaving the family and disappearing for months, almost a year. She stood there silent, her anger coming to a boil.  
  
"What do you expect Baba?" she had yelled. "I have not hid my disappointment and disgust for you! I loathe you!"  
  
"How dare you treat your Father with such disrespect? Have I not always given you what you've wanted? How have I hurt you?" he asked demanding an answer.  
  
"Do you have to ask? Look at what you are?" Jaime had a hard time controlling her anger and her tears.  
  
Her father looked confused and dumbfounded. "What is it I am Jaime? Am I not a father who loves his family? A man who tried to raise you as best I could?"  
  
His eyes pleaded with her to forgive the uncovered transactions her father had committed. "No! You were none of those things. If you were, you wouldn't have begun this 'business'! How can you drag Christian and Lawrie into this? I mean, fine you choose to be the man you are, but you force your sons into the business. Thank God I wasn't a son, or you would have done it to me!"  
  
Her father's gentle eyes turned hard. "Stop it! You will respect me as a father! I have done nothing to hurt you. I've done nothing except to protect you. Just as I protected your brothers. I promised to do this and will continue to do so even if you continue to run."  
  
"I can't believe you! How many people have you hurt? Protect your family and hurt the innocent people we love. Can't you see how deluded that is? I'd rather you forget me then hurt the people I love." Jaime's body flowed with adrenaline.  
  
She shook with anger. In her mind she pictured Donnie's face, then Natie's, lastly, a child's face smiling at her. Jaime saw Francesca's little face. The Bartolli's daughter. She had trusted Jaime and Jaime had promised to protect her. But she was gone. She sat down on the couch, which had its back to a shelf of books.  
  
"Jaime," he said softly, "I am just trying to protect you. Don't you see that? I love you. You're my only daughter." His voice caught in his throat. He had turned away from Jaime's scrutinizing eyes.  
  
"The best way to protect me is to stay away from me," she growled. "I am safer away from you. Hasn't the past proven that?"  
  
Her father turned around wounded by the mention of the past. She knew he knew what she meant.  
  
The knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Christian walked into the room. She knew he felt the tension in the room. "Baba. The appointment is here." He had eyed Jaime as he spoke. Jaime nodded her head in greeting to her younger brother. He nodded back.  
  
"Fine," he replied rasply. He straightened his posture, composing himself for what seemed to be an important visitor. "When you see Jaime up the stairs, send him down into the library. Jaime." He looked at her, tipping his head towards the door.  
  
"You're actually going to send me away when you were the one who 'summoned' me here in the first place? You've got to be kidding?"  
  
Her father had a strange look on his face. Jaime dismissed it and grabbed her jacket that she had thrown onto the leather chair across from the couch. She was disgusted with the both of them.  
  
Jaime stood up and looked at her brother and her father, she just shook her head. "You know why I don't ever want to see you again. Just look at Christian. I don't ever want to be your lackey." With that she walked out the door in disgust and ran up the stairs on her right. She stopped at the top, looking down at her brother who had followed her out of the room and into the hallway.  
  
Jaime pretended to head to her room, and as soon as Christian had seen her walk into her room he left to get the 'appointment'. She had managed to leave the door open a crack and see Christian as he brought down the hallway a familiar brown haired man. He was well groomed and in an Italian suit. Jaime felt a shiver down her spine. It had been Roscoe. She had walked a little further out of her room to get a better view when she made eye contact with Roscoe. He sneered at her as he was led to the library.  
  
The memory brought a shiver down her spine now as she sat in the smelly dank room. What had Roscoe been doing at her Father's house?  
  
***  
  
Jason had listened to the conversation between Donnie and Mr. Nam. He definitely knew something was wrong. And now he was worried. The phone conversation had shaken up Donnie and agitated the already frightened man.  
  
"What are you going to do?" Donnie pleaded.  
  
"I'll go to Rome. It was the last place that anyone saw anything." He leaned against the end table on which the phone sat. He had listened to a man who had no clue his daughter was gone. Jason was sure he would now, with the way the conversation had ended, so abruptly. He didn't understand why Donnie had hung up on him.  
  
Donnie nodded. "Will you go alone?"  
  
Jason looked towards the patio – Elizabeth. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to protect her from the danger, but knew she would worry and eventually find out that Jaime was missing. "No. Elizabeth will be coming with me. Pack her stuff and book us two flights to Rome."  
  
~~  
  
Jason walked out to the patio where Elizabeth had been waiting impatiently. "Jason, what is the matter?"  
  
He thought of how he could explain to her what was happening without panicking her. "Elizabeth, do you know why Jaime went to Rome?"  
  
"No," she shook her head.  
  
"Well she went to see her father." He hated divulging information that Jaime wouldn't want known, but it was the only way to go about his plan. "We need to go there and see him. We just talked to him and he said Jaime got on her flight."  
  
Elizabeth seemed to begin to grasp what was happening. "Do you mean, she was supposed to be on the flight?"  
  
"Yes. But when Donnie went to pick her up she wasn't there. We think that something happened to her and I need to go speak with her father."  
  
"But wouldn't he have expected her to call him when she got back?"  
  
"No," Jason stated.  
  
Elizabeth seemed confused. "How come she didn't tell us that she went to visit her father? She made it seem like a big deal…I suppose it is when she's missing," she pondered.  
  
"Elizabeth I knew she was going," Jason corrected her.  
  
Her head picked up at the idea that Jason had been told. She studied at him closely before speaking. Elizabeth seemed to hesitate before anything was said. "Jason, why did she tell you…and not me?"  
  
Jason said quite simply, "Because she trusted me." The words seemed to stun Elizabeth. Jason hadn't meant to hurt her feelings. It was just the simple truth. "I knew her for a longer period of time Elizabeth. I also know a little bit about her family…"  
  
"Oh," she said quietly.  
  
Donnie interrupted the conversation. "Mr. Morgan, your bags are packed and the car is waiting to take you to the airport."  
  
Elizabeth looked at Jason, "Why are we going to the airport?" She seemed to chide herself as she asked the question. "Never mind. I forgot you told me we were going to Rome."  
  
Jason looked at Elizabeth closely. She was acting a little bit strange. "I'm sorry we didn't get to finish our talk. We can do that on the plane if you want? We just have to hurry and get to the airport."  
  
And so Jason followed Elizabeth out to the car and where they went to catch their flight to Rome while Donnie stayed behind at the House. 


	23. 23

1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
2 Chapter Twenty Three  
  
Elizabeth boarded the plane with Jason. She was quite concerned at the whole situation. Jason was keeping to himself a lot and he wouldn't say anything else about Jaime. "Jason," she whispered, "Why do you think that Jaime might be kidnapped?"  
  
"I never said she was kidnapped," he commented slowly, "I just think we need to go to Rome and find out what happened to her."  
  
"Isn't that saying she was kidnapped? Or taken somewhere without anyone's knowing?" she asked curiously. "I mean, what else could have happened to her? You said her father had told us that she got on the plane…"  
  
Elizabeth really hoped that Jaime was all right. She felt Jason's hand on top of hers. Elizabeth looked up to see Jason reassuring her with his eyes.  
  
"She'll be all right Elizabeth."  
  
"I hope so."  
  
~~  
  
The plane had landed an hour ago. Donnie provided a car for Jason and Elizabeth. Well, not Donnie specifically. He had arranged it with some friends he had within Mr. Nam's connections. Elizabeth didn't know what to expect from Mr. Nam.  
  
"Jason, does he know we're even coming?" she asked while adjusting her seatbelt.  
  
"No. We're not going there right away," he replied looking away from the road for a moment.  
  
"Why? Wasn't he the last one to see her?"  
  
Jason shook his head. "Jaime went to the airport alone. Her father's bodyguards followed her to make sure she got on the plane okay."  
  
Elizabeth thought it was strange for Jaime to not be seen off by her father. "Why wouldn't her dad go with her? And why does her dad have bodyguards? Is there something I need to know about Jaime's family?"  
  
She pressed Jason for the information. Elizabeth didn't think Jason was telling her everything he could about Jaime's family. It almost seemed like her family was in the…  
  
How could she say it? "Mobster business"?  
  
"Elizabeth, you know I would tell you if I could. As it is I am telling you way more than I should. All I can say is that Jaime wanted out of her family and for very specific reasons. I can't tell you more than that. When we find her you can ask her yourself."  
  
Elizabeth sighed. Then we'd better find her.  
  
She hated it when Jason didn't tell her things. It made her worry. Usually when he didn't say anything it was because it would put her in danger.  
  
What could Jaime know or who could she know that would put her in danger?  
  
"Fine," she agreed, "I won't ask you again about her family." Elizabeth couldn't quite judge where Jason was coming from.  
  
2.1 Was he worried about Jaime because she was a good friend? Or was he worried for some other reason?  
  
Elizabeth hated thinking that way. What reason, well, what right did she have to ask that question? She felt a squeeze on her knee, she turned to look at Jason, who was watching her, looking concerned.  
  
"Is some…something wrong?"  
  
"Oh, no. I'm just worried that's all!" Elizabeth smiled.  
  
Yeah, worried about Jaime and Jason! What heck was she doing? She chided herself. Jaime's missing for pete's sake!  
  
"About what?" he asked turning off onto an exit.  
  
"Jaime…" she lied.  
  
"It doesn't seem like it. Are you sure it's not something else?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure. Besides, you shouldn't worry about me. Jaime is the one we're looking for."  
  
"Elizabeth, I will always worry about you."  
  
The comment silenced Elizabeth. She was surprised, but somewhat comforted by his comment. "Jason, you don't have to right now. I'm sure I'll give you things to worry about later," she laughed.  
  
Jason nodded and continued to drive into the heart of Rome.  
  
***  
  
Jaime felt like she had been sitting in the room for hours. She had felt herself drift off when suddenly she hear footsteps coming down what apparently were a flight of stairs. There was more than one person coming down the flight of stairs. Jaime strained her neck in attempt to listen to the quiet conversation going in the background.  
  
"Who's there?" she demanded.  
  
There was low rumble of laughter in the air. The voices she had heard were men's. "Who are you? What do you want?" Jaime would not show fear. Her father had at least taught her that much, how to live with people who want to terrorize you.  
  
Jaime felt herself lifted by her arms into the air. She was placed on her unbalanced feet. Jaime tried to find her balance as her feet were bound, but she just couldn't do it and she fell into one of the men holding her.  
  
He was extremely large and had large pectorals. At least that's what she thought she had fallen into. "What do you want? Do you know who you're dealing with?" she spat menacingly. Jaime felt adrenaline pumping through her veins.  
  
The first reply was laughter, low malicious and full of contempt. "I think we had this conversation already Jaime," a familiar voice replied.  
  
2.2 Roscoe? She should have known.  
  
2.3  
  
2.4 Jaime heard footsteps approaching.  
  
2.5  
  
2.6 Jaime felt the man's breath on her neck, his lips brushing her ear. She struggled against the two men who held her in place.  
  
2.7  
  
2.8 "Roscoe! You disgusting…"  
  
He interrupted her, "Ah, ah, ah! You don't want to make your captor mad do you?"  
  
Jaime felt a strong firm hand caress her neck and slowly cupping it until she was left gasping for breath. He moved his lips down from her ear to her cheek. His moustache and goatee tickled her face and she moved away from it's caress. Suddenly with a jerk, she felt the blindfold come off her eyes. The light burst into view. The room itself was dimly lit but her eyes, which were accustomed to the darkness, paid the price. Jaime tried to open her eyes a little so her pupils would adjust to the light. Everything was blurry. She tried to pull away from Roscoe's firm grasp on her neck so she might breathe.  
  
He released his grip on her neck. "Gahahhhh," she gasped for air. Jaime looked in the direction of the blurry figure in front of her. Slowly her vision cleared and she could finally see Roscoe's smug face. "Let me go Roscoe!" she threatened.  
  
"Or what?" he pouted. "Your Daddy's going to hurt me? I think I've heard that one before," he laughed.  
  
"What do you want? I mean you're stupid, but not this stupid. Who's hired you now? Who's lackey are you now?" she baited.  
  
Jaime could see he had taken the bait. His rage flared and she found herself once again in his grip, but this time both his hands held her face. "I'm no one's lackey. And I'd be careful if I were you Jaime, I'm not so easily placated," he spat.  
  
Jaime twisted her face out of his hands. "Wow, I'm impressed," she smiled mockingly, "Did you look that word up in a dictionary before you came down here?"  
  
Roscoe walked away, his body tense and Jaime steadied herself in case he ordered his goons to strike her. Instead he stood up to his full height and shrugged his shoulders. It was eerie. It seemed that the anger he had been building up just disappeared. He turned to her and smiled. "You're smart," he acknowledged and gave her a wink. "I almost lost my temper there."  
  
Jaime stood up tossing her hair over her shoulders and out of her eyes. "I know I'm smart, but what's your excuse? Why are you stupid enough to do this? If you were smart you'd let me go before my father begins to look for me."  
  
Roscoe leaned back on a nearby metal desk. He crossed his arms and seemed to study her for a bit. Then he made one abrupt, but fluid motion towards a chair that sat a couple of feet away from him. Roscoe placed the chair in front of the desk, directly under the hanging bare bulb. "Put her in this chair and leave us," he commanded the goons.  
  
Jaime was shoved into the chair by one of the men who held her. She tried to resist but it was futile with the restraints on her. Jaime listened as the footsteps faded up the stairs.  
  
"Now Jaime, where were we?" he leered as his finger traced her jaw and down her neck. "You know Jaime, I've always thought you were a beautiful girl." 


	24. 24

1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
1.1 Chapter Twenty Four  
  
He watched her looking through the mail that sat at his desk in the study. Nikolas snuck up behind his beautiful wife-to-be and wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling her neck with his kisses. "Are you ready to go?"  
  
"Yes. I never imagined we'd get to travel to Italy! First stop Milan! I can spend some of that princely money you keep having to slave over!" Gia teased.  
  
Nikolas turned her around so that he could look into those beautiful brown eyes. Sometimes he thought he could drown in them. "Whatever you want Princess Sparky!" he laughed.  
  
Gia leaned in to kiss him. Her lips seemed to melt into his.  
  
God did he love this woman.  
  
"All right!" he said forcing himself to pull away from her lips. "We need to get going. The plane leaves in an hour."  
  
Gia continued with a barrage of kisses, all over him. He wrestled himself away from the wandering hands of his fiancee. "Why? Can't we just, you know…I'm promise it will be quick," Gia teased suggestively.  
  
"Gia…" he warned. He couldn't help but smile. He was going to marry the woman of his dreams.  
  
"Oh all right," she pouted.  
  
Nikolas grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door.  
  
***  
  
Jason settled Elizabeth in the small apartment he had been staying in for part of his visit in Rome. Elizabeth had been inspecting the apartment, looking through cupboards and the fridge. She seemed to enjoy everything about it. "I'm sorry it's so small."  
  
Elizabeth looked up at Jason and smiled. "No it's fine. It's a lot bigger than your place at Jake's," she laughed.  
  
He agreed, "Yeah it is."  
  
The apartment was a two-bedroom, with a large window overlooking the courtyard, which was overrun with passing tourists and villagers. His living room had only a couch and a couple of chairs. It was connected to the little dining room, which held a table and four chairs. There was an open doorway to the kitchen from the dining room. On the opposite side of the living room was a hall, which lead to the only bathroom and the two bedrooms sitting opposite each other at the end of the hallway.  
  
"Jason, is this where we're staying?"  
  
"Yeah. I hope you don't mind. I mean, I would put you in another apartment, but around here they like long-term tenants and the hotels aren't exactly close to."  
  
"No. That's fine. I mean, we've got two bedrooms right?" she said casually.  
  
"Yeah. Of course." Jason had been glad he had picked a two-bedroom instead of his usual one, but he had need for the extra storage space when some of Sonny's contacts needed a 'place to stay'.  
  
She grabbed her bags and walked down the hallway. "Which one's yours?" she yelled.  
  
"It doesn't matter. Both of them are the same. I don't have any stuff in either one," he replied.  
  
Jason got on his cell phone and called some of his contacts in Rome. He would find out if any new visitors had come to the city in the past few days. Jason also phoned Sonny to ask for a personal call to Lee. There were still channels to go through before Jason could possibly enter the Nam's personal residence. "Yeah, Sonny, could you help me out with that?"  
  
"Uh, Jason, yeah. Sure. Uh, how are you anyway?"  
  
"I'm fine." Jason moved to the window trying to keep Elizabeth from hearing him talk on the phone.  
  
"Jason!" Elizabeth called as she came down the hallway. She stood at the entrance to the living room, hand on her hips. "Who are you talking to? Are they people who'll help us find Jaime?"  
  
Jason motioned with his hand to stop talking. Elizabeth shrugged and walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Uh…Jason?" Sonny spoke, trying to get his attention.  
  
"Yeah?" Jason was praying he didn't hear her voice. The last thing he wanted to get around was the fact that Elizabeth somehow was with him in Italy. Jason knew Sonny wouldn't say anything, but he wanted to avoid Sonny's prying questions also.  
  
"Was that a woman's voice?" Sonny asked.  
  
Jason could tell by the tone in Sonny's voice that he was going to give him a hard time. "Yes."  
  
"Um, was that, uh, Elizabeth Webber's voice I heard by, uh, any chance?" he laughed.  
  
"Yes," Jason replied shortly.  
  
"You dog!" Sonny exclaimed. "So have you guys been hitting it off since she's not engaged to be married anymore?"  
  
"Sonny," he whispered, "I am just bringing her along so she doesn't get hurt trying to find Jaime on her own." Jason looked over his shoulder and saw Elizabeth setting the table in the dining room.  
  
She mouthed something, "Do you want to eat something?" Elizabeth then proceeded to act out lifting some utensil to her mouth and chewing.  
  
Jason nodded his head and proceeded in his conversation with Sonny. "Sonny, you're gonna do that thing right after I get off the phone right?"  
  
"Do what?" he laughed. "Oh, you mean talk to Mr. Nam for you. Yeah yeah. Of course."  
  
"Thanks. How's everything going down in Port Charles? Are you and Carly back together yet?"  
  
Silence. "Jason, it's over…between me and Carly," he said dismissively.  
  
"You know you love her, don't you?" Jason asked. He turned the spotlight on Sonny now. Jason knew what Carly did and he didn't blame Sonny for divorcing her, but he knew that Sonny hadn't gotten over her yet.  
  
Silence again. "Jason, I'd better go now. Or I'll never make that call…"  
  
Jason heard a knock on the door. He heard a rustling noise and a woman's voice. "Are you doing anything, saying anything, ordering someone to do something that will make me work some more overtime for you?" she said sarcastically.  
  
"Sonny?" Jason repeated himself. "Are you there?"  
  
"Yeah," Sonny yelled over the phone. Then some muffling of the phone, which Jason could only assume, was Sonny covering the phone to talk to the woman.  
  
Jason looked over at Elizabeth for a moment. She was setting the forks and knives around the plates and then Elizabeth paused for a moment in her activities to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. He couldn't imagine a better moment in time. Suddenly he realized someone was talking to him on the cell.  
  
"Jason, hey?" Sonny called.  
  
"Yeah? Hey who was that? It sounded like Alexis."  
  
"Uh, yeah. It's Alexis," there was a pause in the conversation and then Jason heard a woman's voice.  
  
"Uh, hi Jason!" she said timidly.  
  
Jason heard Sonny laughing in the background until his voice came back into focus. "Jason. I gotta go now. I'll make that phone call right now. Hey," he paused. "Give my regards to Elizabeth," he teased.  
  
Oh man. Jason thought shaking his head.  
  
"Jason, supper's ready. I'm sorry it's really not gourmet and definitely not as good as Tammy's food, but you work with what you got!" she laughed. She gestured to the table set for two.  
  
Jason studied the table, which held a bowl of pickles, a plate full of sliced cheese and crackers. There was a pitcher of lemonade and twinkies for dessert.  
  
Elizabeth looked at him apologetically. "Oh, and some soup on the stove!" she smiled, running over into the kitchen to continue stirring the boiling soup.  
  
"You did good," Jason said slowly, trying to muffle his amusement. "Looks great."  
  
Elizabeth stuck her tongue out at him, "Hey, if you say one more word, no soup for you!"  
  
Jason feigned terror at the mention of not having any soup to go with this well-balanced meal. "Oh, no. I must have the soup!" he exclaimed walking towards the kitchen.  
  
He positioned himself behind her looking over her shoulder. "What kind of soup is that anyway? Should it be so green?" he asked.  
  
She punched him in the shoulder, a big grin on her face. 


	25. 25

1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
1.1 Chapter Twenty Five  
  
"Now Jaime, are you comfortable in that chair? I must apologize for Ben and Jake; they don't know how to treat nice girls like you. You're all so dusty from the dirt on the floor." Roscoe circled her like a shark circles its prey.  
  
"Dirt never hurt anyone," she said sarcastically.  
  
He kneeled before her in his clean-cut suit. Even on his knees he was taller than she was, his eyes just meeting hers. Roscoe rested his arms on the ledge of the chair's seat, a little too close for comfort in Jaime's opinion. "I'm so glad you feel that way. I believe you'll be down here a little while longer."  
  
"Do you think I really need to have my feet tied?" she asked sweetly. "I don't think I'll be able to get away, now do you?" She lifted her legs, pleading with her eyes.  
  
He looked like he might consider it when his eyes seemed to darken and realize what she was trying to pull. "I don't think so darling," he said endearingly. "It would just be too much temptation for you. Even if you knew you couldn't get away." Roscoe got up and dusted off his knees. "Besides, I wouldn't want to have to hurt you."  
  
Jaime tried to kick him with her bound legs. Unfortunately it made her lose her balance and Jaime tipped over sideways. Roscoe seemed like he would let her fall to the ground in humiliation, but then opted to pull her up to him so that she was standing.  
  
He's a lot stronger than I remember.  
  
Jaime avoided his eyes, yet felt his hot breath on the top of her head. His hands continued to hold her against him.  
  
"See, didn't I tell you? You'll hurt yourself," he chided, lifting her head to meet his gaze.  
  
She turned her head in defiance, but he had a stronger hold on her chin than she expected. Jaime felt her body beginning to betray her and sent a shiver down her spine.  
  
He smiled at her. "Do I make you uncomfortable?" he smirked.  
  
Jaime looked away from him. "You make me sick," she spat.  
  
Roscoe pushed her down onto the chair. "I'll concede, you do know how to make me angry you witch!"  
  
Jaime struggled against his one hand pushing on her shoulder, keeping her in her seat. With the other hand he untied her feet, but before she had a chance to kick him or do anything to make him release her, he spun her around with her back facing him. "Let me go!"  
  
"I've decided to be nice and take you to somewhere where there's a little more light," he responded pushing her forward.  
  
Jaime felt his grip on her loosen a little, and she saw her chance. She lunged forward towards the flight of stairs. As she commanded her feet to move faster, Jaime found herself at the top of the stairs facing the two large men who had taken her captive.  
  
Her memories came flooding back. She had entered the gate hiding around the corner of the gate, making sure her father's spies couldn't see her. By the time they had left, the announcer had called a last boarding call. Jaime had rushed to catch her plane when these two men seemed to appear out of nowhere. One of them grabbed her from behind making sure no one saw them. The other had placed a white cloth over her face, which she now realized chloroform to knock her out.  
  
Jaime heard the footsteps running up behind her. "Good timing boys!" he sneered. "I've decided Miss Nam here can't possibly be comfortable down here so we're going to take her to one of our wonderful rooms. I mean, just because she's our captive doesn't mean her stay with us can't be pleasant, right Jaime?"  
  
Her stomach bottomed out. She definitely wasn't going to get out of this one very easily.  
  
***  
  
Sonny had called Jason back during the simple meal Elizabeth had prepared. Elizabeth knew it was Sonny because he talked in hushed tones at the dinner table. She began to clean up the plates as Jason left the table to look out the window in the living room.  
  
Elizabeth felt strange cleaning up the table, putting dishes into the dishwasher and wiping up the dining room table. It seemed like an alternate reality. It was almost like playing house. Jason was the husband and Liz the attentive wife. She shook her head. What was she thinking?  
  
As Elizabeth looked over at Jason, she worried over what happened to Jaime. When Jason had said the plane was delayed, she thought nothing of it. Now that she stood in this two-bedroom apartment with Jason, Elizabeth's imagination began to run wild.  
  
What if she got mugged and had amnesia? What if one of Jason's enemies decided to take her hostage? What if…  
  
Elizabeth couldn't think of that anymore. It was starting to get to her. Besides, Elizabeth knew that with Sonny helping, they were sure to find her before the week was out. Hopefully it won't take that long!  
  
~~  
  
Her clothes had been somewhat unpacked during the span of the conversation between Sonny and Jason. Elizabeth knew that they might be on the move, that this place was just a home base for the search for Jaime. She had been uneasy with the idea of sleeping just across the hallway from Jason. Why am I so nervous to be with him? she thought to herself. I've lived with him before? We've slept in the same room.  
  
But things had changed between them since then. Lucky had come back and Jason had made known his feelings to her. Elizabeth shook her head at the situations she had gotten herself into. Why hadn't she just told the truth from the beginning? Why did she have to be such a people pleaser?  
  
The thought reminded her of something Jaime had once said, "I know. Sometimes the truth hurts, but in the end, the truth hurts a lot less than the lies or in your case, pretending."  
  
Elizabeth had never seemed to quite get the hang of that idea. She seemed to be able to do it a lot easier when Jason was around, but it got harder when Jason was the one Elizabeth was hiding her feelings from. Yes feelings. I had feelings for Jason.  
  
Her body fell with a soft thump on the firm single bed mattress. How she wished Jaime was here! Elizabeth knew that she would have something to say about it. But what?  
  
The thought that she had about Jason getting over her was hard. Elizabeth never presumed that he would be left pining over Elizabeth for the rest of his life, but she never expected having to deal with Jason's closeness with another woman. "What am I going to do?" she sighed closing her eyes, wishing that she could just let it go.  
  
Jaime was the one person whom she could picture Jason with. But she'd rather picture herself with him, she thought.  
  
Elizabeth rolled onto her stomach, grabbing a pillow that was beside her and hid her face in it. Could she really picture herself with him? Elizabeth knew the answer to that question. Of course she…  
  
Jason's voice interrupted her self-admission. "Elizabeth?"  
  
She turned around to see Jason leaning against the doorframe to her room. "Yeah. Did you hear anything from Sonny?"  
  
Jason nodded his head. "We're going to meet with Mr. Nam tomorrow morning. Well, actually I am," he corrected himself.  
  
"What do you mean, you are? I am going to!" she exclaimed. Elizabeth wanted to find her friend just as much as Jason did. Or maybe not as much as he did. The thought disturbed Elizabeth.  
  
Did he want to find her more?  
  
"Elizabeth, I can't argue with you about this," he sighed. "I have to go alone. Mr. Nam just agreed to see me."  
  
"Well, phone him and tell him that Jaime's friend Elizabeth is coming too," she instructed.  
  
Jason shook his head and rubbed his left eye. "Elizabeth please…"  
  
"No Jason! You please…" she said indignantly. "I am the reason she's gone!"  
  
Jason's eyes studied her. "What do you mean you're the reason she's gone?"  
  
Elizabeth sat up on the bed cross-legged. "I'm the reason she's gone. I am the reason she came to Italy. Jaime was showing me around. If I hadn't agreed to come, then she wouldn't have flown to Rome and she wouldn't be missing now."  
  
Elizabeth thought about what she had just said. Yeah. It is my fault. Her heart sank. Maybe she unconsciously wished that Jaime would leave Jason alone. Now the wish had come true. Elizabeth heard footsteps approach her bed. Jason sat down on the edge of the bed in front of her.  
  
"Elizabeth, this isn't your fault."  
  
"If she wasn't in Italy, Jaime would not be missing right now, right?" she pointed out.  
  
Jason reluctantly nodded his head. "But Elizabeth, you can't blame yourself for this?"  
  
Elizabeth looked Jason in the eye. "Why not?" she asked.  
  
"Elizabeth," he sighed, "Jaime wasn't forced to come here. Besides, whose idea was it?"  
  
"Jaime's," she admitted.  
  
"Well then?" he looked at her. "And if Jaime was abducted or something, you weren't the one who planned it, right?"  
  
Elizabeth nodded her head. "I suppose. But Jason…Jason I wished that we had some time together and now we do," her voice trailed off. Her eyes lowered, unable to meet his questioning gaze.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked quietly.  
  
"I mean, I wanted to spend some time with you. You guys seemed to pick up where you left off," she paused to consider her words, " Not that I know where that is, but I felt like I… I had lost you," she stammered.  
  
Elizabeth looked up at Jason. He seemed quite stunned by the revelation. She tried to quickly ease the situation, "I mean, I realize now that it was silly to feel that way…"  
  
Jason put his hand on top of hers. "Elizabeth…I…I'm glad you know that you would never lose me."  
  
Elizabeth felt her face flush and became flustered. She slid off the bed and turned to look at Jason. "Yeah, sure!" she shrugged dismissively. "I mean, it was…silly to think that."  
  
Jason smiled. "Yeah."  
  
Elizabeth seriously wanted out of this conversation. So she took what she learned from all her time spent with Jason, she changed the subject. "So I'm going with you, right?"  
  
Jason rolled his eyes. "No you aren't," he stated.  
  
Now it was Elizabeth's turn to roll her eyes. "Jason, you do know that I'm stubborn right?"  
  
He laughed, "Yeah, I know that. I know it well."  
  
"Well then, you know there's no point in fighting me on this right?" she asked, giving him a big grin. 


	26. 26

1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
1.1 Chapter Twenty Six  
  
Jason had an uneasy feeling about letting Elizabeth come with him, but she had made it perfectly clear that if he wouldn't take her, she'd find her way there eventually. So reluctantly he brought her.  
  
Jason had seen pictures of Jaime's family, her brothers Christian and Lawrie and her father, Mr. Nam. The last picture Jaime had shown Jason was one of her mother and her. Her mother had her hair up and was wearing a flower print dress. Sitting on her knee was a little girl no more than five. Her hair was put in pigtails and she had a hug grin on her face. Jaime took that picture wherever she travelled. It was her most treasured possession.  
  
As Elizabeth entered the house with Jason, a guard stopped them. He motioned with his head over to Elizabeth. Jason replied, "She's with me. Jaime brought her to Italy."  
  
He seemed to debate what should be done. "Wait here," he commanded.  
  
The tall guard stalked down the hallway into a room across from a staircase leading upstairs.  
  
"Jason? Why does he have so many guards?" Elizabeth whispered.  
  
Jason turned to Elizabeth, "Because of the business he's in."  
  
With that, Elizabeth bit her bottom lip and was quiet. Finally the man came back from the room and proceeded to motion Jason and Elizabeth to follow him.  
  
They entered a study, full of books and carefully crafted objects, which sat display on dark mahogany end tables. An older man sat behind a desk, looking though a file of papers. Jason recognized the face.  
  
It was Lee. He peered over his wire-framed glasses at the two guests. Jason bowed in recognition of the man. "Mr. Nam."  
  
"Mr. Morgan. I have been expecting you. What is it that I can do for my associate's friend?"  
  
"We want permission to conduct the search for your daughter," Jason said.  
  
Lee signalled them to sit in the two chairs in front of him. Jason pointed for Elizabeth to sit to his right. He sat in the chair closest to him.  
  
"Mr. Morgan, how do you know my daughter?" he inquired suspiciously.  
  
"We met in my travels to Italy."  
  
"What about this young woman? What is her name?"  
  
"My name is Elizabeth," she peeped.  
  
Mr. Nam looked at Jason, waiting for an answer. "Her name is Elizabeth Webber. She met Jaime in Port Charles."  
  
He seemed satisfied with the answer. "Why did Mr. Corinthos not mention your bringing this young woman?"  
  
"Sonny didn't know she would be coming. She insisted. Jaime is a good friend of hers," he explained.  
  
He seemed to smile. Lee's eyes turned to Elizabeth, "So you are also stubborn? Are you as obstinate as my daughter?"  
  
Elizabeth sighed and then realized she needed to answer. "Close, but I think Jaime still has one up on me in that department."  
  
Lee laughed. "I think that is so with my daughter." Suddenly he turned to Jason, "So Mr. Morgan, what is it that you need to know about my daughter's visit?"  
  
"I need to know if anyone saw her get on the plane?" he stated.  
  
Lee seemed to hesitate. "No. No one saw her get on the plane."  
  
"Okay," Jason paused, "Do you know of anyone who knew that she was here and might want to hurt her or you?"  
  
"I have thought about that, Mr. Morgan, and I have come to the conclusion that Rosco would be the only one who might have had the motive and opportunity to abduct my daughter." Jason noticed Lee's hand form a fist. He knew that Lee must be worried sick over Jaime.  
  
"Well, have your contacts found out anything about his whereabouts?" Jason asked, shifting his body forward.  
  
Lee's face paled. "No. I have heard nothing. The last place he was seen was in a nightclub. We have heard nothing since. It is like he disappeared into thin air.  
  
"Well, at least we have a name. I'll see what our contacts can find out. I'm going to find Jaime Mr. Nam."  
  
Lee studied Jason. He nodded his head and spoke, "I know you will Mr. Morgan. You have a good reputation among," he paused, looking at Elizabeth and continued. "Among friends."  
  
The older man pushed his chair back as he stood up and offered his hand. "I am glad my daughter has fine friends like you to look out for her."  
  
***  
  
Elizabeth left with Jason soon after Mr. Nam had given Jason his number so that they could keep him informed. As co-operative as Mr. Nam was, she suspected that he would also be searching for his daughter. He didn't seem like the kind of man who sat back and let a "friend" find his daughter.  
  
"So what are we going to do next?" Elizabeth asked, getting into the vehicle they had borrowed that afternoon.  
  
"I'm going to go look for the only lead we have. I'll go to the nightclub tonight," he stated, pulling out of the driveway.  
  
"Jason, you mean us, don't you?" Elizabeth corrected.  
  
"No I mean me," Jason clarifed.  
  
"Jason, are you going to baby me again?" she pouted, slouching into the passenger seat.  
  
"Elizabeth," he sighed, "I'm not babying you. Mr. Nam has confirmed the fact that the reason Jaime was taken was because of him. And the people he works with are not nice," he stressed.  
  
"Jason, I can handle myself."  
  
He shook his head at her. "It has nothing to do with being able to handle yourself. Do…do you remember when Emily was kidnapped and I begged you and Lucky to go home?"  
  
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. She knew Jason had been right to tell them to go home, for Emily's safety, but she knew Lucky needed to save Emily. "Yes," she sighed.  
  
"I told you to go home right?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," she mumbled.  
  
"And you guys didn't hear what I said and you stayed and then Sorel's men ended up holding you hostage!" he pointed out.  
  
"Yes. I know Jason! I was there. You were right, that time…it doesn't mean that it'll happen this time," she exerted.  
  
"No. I do know that it could happen again," he stated. "Elizabeth, these guys are professionals. They took her without her father even noticing, and that's a hard thing to do."  
  
The car surged forward onto the autobahn. She didn't agree. Jason needed her help for whatever reason. She felt it in the pit of her stomach. "Fine," she mumbled. "It's dangerous for me to go and I won't go with you."  
  
Elizabeth looked out the side window at the passing blurs of trees and grass.  
  
"You won't argue with me on this again?" Jason asked, turning his eyes towards Elizabeth.  
  
"Yes. I won't argue about this again."  
  
She wouldn't argue because Elizabeth would get to the nightclub. Elizabeth didn't say she wouldn't go. She had said that she wouldn't go with Jason. Elizabeth continued to gaze out the side window. A little smile creeping onto her face. 


	27. 27

1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
1.1 Chapter Twenty Seven  
  
Rosco had a plan. And that plan was going to work. It would work out this time.  
  
He had been known as The Enforcer, to Sorel's enemies and friends. Now he had changed his image. He was no longer the lackey, but the leader. Rosco felt it was too soon to move in on Corinthos' territory, since he'd been in the business in Port Charles so long. Corinthos had a firm grasp on the businesses there. Besides Rosco didn't quite have enough capital to move in on Sonny.  
  
Instead he'd chosen another route. He had travelled to Italy. It was a newer area to Rosco, but he had had dealings there and made some contacts. Rosco had heard rumors Lee was there. He'd had former dealings with the man and so he thought he'd try his luck out there.  
  
It wasn't a couple of days before he'd gotten an appointment with Lee. He was made to wait the official amount of time to put the visitor on edge, but Rosco didn't unsettle very easily. As Christian led him to Lee, he'd spotted the fiery Jaime watching from the upstairs banister. He hadn't known she'd be here. He'd kept a mental note of that.  
  
Lee wasn't receptive to the idea of Rosco moving in on his territory. So Rosco went to plan b. He suggested Lee fund his venture in Port Charles. Thus, through Rosco as a partner, Lee's territory would also be expanded to Port Charles. Lee declined.  
  
"I know Corinthos is in Port Charles. He is quite the respectful man and knows his business. Unlike some people."  
  
Rosco grimaced at the dig. He put on his big smile and countered, "He doesn't know how to capitalize on the potential assets that this town has. He's too clean to run an "organization".  
  
Lee thought before he answered Rosco's complaint. "He is wise. The money is not in the drugs my friend. You would do far better to realize that. A healthy business will survive many years longer than one that is addicted to drugs."  
  
"I never said I'd run drugs Lee." Rosco knew that he was of the old trade. Gambling were Corinthos' and Nam's gambits.  
  
Lee smiled smugly. "You do not fool me Rosco. You are a young impetuous man who does not consider consequences before acting upon them. You must look at the big picture if you are to lead."  
  
With that Lee dismissed Rosco. It infuriated him to no end.  
  
How dare he dismiss me like some little boy?  
  
Rosco still fumed at the entire meeting. But Rosco had formed a plan as he left the Nam residence. And it had involved a certain feisty woman.  
  
~~  
  
Rosco sat in the library of his Italian villa. It was secluded and had vast grounds. He'd scared away the owners for the time being. They didn't want to fool around with The Enforcer.  
  
It had been nice for Rosco to have some power over people here in Italy. It's nice to be appreciated, Rosco thought.  
  
Kidnapping Jaime had been a well thought out plan. Rosco knew that her father's bodyguards would be watching her, and it would be safer to nab her after she entered the gates. He'd made the move swift and clean. Rosco had his men drug her and bring her out the side door of the airport. He'd had a car waiting. Rosco took her to the villa and hid her in the basement.  
  
He'd planned to extort money out of Lee at first, but after his little conversation with Jaime and thinking about Lee's typical reaction, Rosco knew he couldn't be linked to her kidnapping. If Lee ever found out it was Rosco who'd orchestrated the entire coo and heard he'd treated Jaime with contempt and violence there would be no escape. So Rosco adjusted his plan and put Jaime in a one of the comfortable bedrooms the villa contained.  
  
After pondering what he could do to exact his revenge on the disrespect Lee had shown Rosco, he'd decided on his course of action. Rosco would make Jaime fall in love with him. It would be as simple as that.  
  
***  
  
Jaime didn't know how long she'd been locked up in her room. It was a lot nicer than the basement she'd been first cast into, but a locked room was a locked room. She didn't know what to make of this situation. It must have to do with her father, but she didn't understand why Rosco would be stupid enough to kidnap her since her father would most likely kill him.  
  
"What can I say? You're not really bright Rosco," she said to herself.  
  
Jaime had gotten over her initial fear of Rosco since they'd moved her up to the extra large bedroom. She'd made herself as comfortable as possible, but after being cooped up in the room for about three days now, Jaime'd had enough of the same view from the enclosed window day in and day out. She hadn't even been able to shower. Jaime felt disgusting.  
  
She heard footsteps approaching. Jaime flung herself onto the bed pretending to read an already open magazine. Her eyes glanced up at the two men who'd been guarding her day in and day out. Jake and Ben were their names. She'd kept an eye on them. Jaime felt their wandering eyes whenever they came to check on her.  
  
Behind the two men stood the man who'd arranged for her capture.  
  
"Jaime. How's your stay? Are you comfortable?" he asked sarcastically.  
  
"What do you think? Why am I here? Are you trying to bore me to death?" She sat up so that her eyes met his as he approached the bed.  
  
"Well, what can I say? You're stay here has been prolonged a little bit longer."  
  
Jaime watched him, as he seemed to be thinking about his every move. "Have you contacted my father yet? I'm just waiting for the day he realizes it's you."  
  
"Oh, I haven't contacted him," he said nonchalantly.  
  
Jaime's stomach did a flip. He hadn't planned to contact her father? Now Jaime was uptight. What was he planning?  
  
"Oh, don't worry. Hopefully you'll be out of this little villa soon. I'm just waiting for the word."  
  
The word? Jaime felt uneasy. She knew that he was very calculating and it seemed like he'd dropped the hint that he wasn't the one who orchestrated the entire thing. Which wasn't the impression she'd gotten the first night. But she had been drugged and her head hadn't really cleared until the next morning. "And what word would that be? Who's behind all of this?"  
  
He looked like he was upset with himself that she'd figured out that it wasn't him in control. "I never said anything about anyone else," he defended.  
  
Jaime looked at him, studying his moves, his body language. She hadn't known him well enough to be able to conclusively say that he was lying or not. "Well, are you saying you're the brains behind this outfit?" Jaime pointed to the two thugs behind him. "Did you train them yourself?"  
  
Jaime crossed her legs. She addressed the goons, "Hey, I wouldn't listen to what he says. He wasn't really a good "Enforcer" anyway."  
  
That got a reaction out of Rosco. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him. She tried to struggle against him, pushing against his shoulders to put space between them. Unfortunately that made it easier for him to access her waist in which he pulled against him. "I'm sure I could take you any day, little girl."  
  
Jaime laughed. "Sure whatever. Maybe if you didn't have your goons looming over us, we'd find out who's stronger and better." She cringed under his hot breath against her face.  
  
"Well, maybe that could be arranged." His grip loosened around her waist and wrist.  
  
Jaime gazed into his steely blue eyes. She could see his mind working overtime, calculating every move he made. "Well, if you're too scared of little old me…" her voice trailed off.  
  
He stared back into her eyes and smiled, "Not one bit." And with that he released her from his grip. Rosco walked out of the room and the two men followed. As the door closed, she could hear him talking to them. "You do not go near her."  
  
And for whatever reason that put her mind at ease. 


	28. 28

1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
1.1 Chapter Twenty Eight  
  
Elizabeth had found out the name of the nightclub from Jason. She had nonchalantly asked him, "Jason, where is this nightclub, just so if something happens, I can maybe let someone know."  
  
He had given her the name of the nightclub and nothing else. It didn't seem to Elizabeth that he suspected anything. So Elizabeth began to get ready after Jason had left the apartment. Elizabeth phoned information and found the address of the nightclub and hailed a cab down the street.  
  
She prayed that the driver spoke English. "Anglais?" Elizabeth asked. She shook her head as the cabby looked at her strangely.  
  
What was she supposed to do? The only other language she knew was French and it was just grade 8 French.  
  
"English?" she asked again.  
  
  
  
This time, the cabby smiled and nodded. "Where to?" he said with an extreme accent.  
  
"258 Pisane Court," she replied.  
  
Elizabeth really hoped Jason wouldn't be that upset with her.  
  
What? Am I kidding? Of course he's going to be upset!  
  
Elizabeth shook her head. She was doing the right thing. Jaime needed her.  
  
~~  
  
Elizabeth felt out of place in the highly populated club. It hadn't been too hard to get in. Being a runner up in the Face of Deception campaign did have its perks. The beat was pounding so loud that she could feel it in her stomach. Elizabeth surveyed the club, looking for the bar.  
  
It was the only place to start, right? she thought to herself.  
  
Elizabeth thought up all the movie clichés when walking towards the people mobbed bar. She put on her best smile and adjusted her low cut top and approached the dark-haired, dark-eyed bartender. "Hi!" she yelled over top of the music.  
  
The man leaned over the bar to hear her. "What can I get for you?" he yelled.  
  
She had never been one for alcohol. As Elizabeth ordered a club soda, she batted her big eyes at the interested bartender. Elizabeth sat down on an available stool. He had stuck around the same area, throwing glances her way. She smiled and played the flirt.  
  
As the mob of people began to disperse a little, Elizabeth leaned over the bar. "What's your name?" she asked.  
  
The bartender leaned over towards her and whispered in her ear, "Dan, what about you?"  
  
Elizabeth giggled at the feeling of his breath in her ear. Apparently Dan thought it was for his benefit. He cocked his eyebrow and winked. She leaned over and yelled, "Elizabeth."  
  
He took her hand and kissed it. "Are you American?" he said huskily.  
  
Elizabeth nodded. "I was wondering if you could tell me something?" she yelled.  
  
"Anything!" he yelled.  
  
"Were you working here like, um, five days ago?"  
  
Dan nodded. "Yeah."  
  
"Did you happen to know a guy named Rosco?"  
  
Dan stood up and backed away. He shook his head. "No," he yelled.  
  
As he began to take another person's order, Elizabeth leaned over the bar and tugged at his shirt. Dan hesitated and then also leaned over the bar. Elizabeth ran her fingers though his hair. His body eased as she began to pull all out all the stops, flirting with him. "Please," she pouted, "I need to know if a man named Rosco was here?"  
  
He seemed to weaken in resolve as she blew in his ear. Dan nodded. "Yeah, he was here."  
  
"Oh, good," she said sweetly. "Do you know why? And also if he was with anyone?"  
  
Dan began to make his move on her. Elizabeth rolled her eyes as he began to kiss her neck. She pushed him away, "Ah, ah, ah!" Elizabeth shook her finger at him. "I need to know if he was with anyone," she scolded.  
  
His eyes ran down the length of her body. It gave her the creeps. Suddenly his eyes were drawn back to her face as she waved her hand in front of him. "Hello? Was Rosco with anyone?" Elizabeth said more forcefully.  
  
She was getting impatient with him, but Elizabeth finally got what she needed. Dan nodded his head, as Elizabeth tried to pry his wandering hands from her body. "Yeah. He was with a regular. Manisso," he said distractedly.  
  
"Is he here? Rosco? Or maybe Manisso?"  
  
Elizabeth was getting more uncomfortable as he seemed to have a good grip on her wrists. "No. Rosco hasn't been around for a few days. But…" he paused, pulling her close to him, "You're in luck with Manisso. He's here tonight. He's in the rouge room," he motioned toward a doorway covered in strings of beads. "Now, can I get a kiss?"  
  
Elizabeth tried to pull away, but he was too strong. She closed her eyes, waiting for him to kiss her when she felt a strong but gentle hand pull her wrist out of Dan's grasp.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" Jason's voice yelled.  
  
***  
  
Jason had spotted Elizabeth when he had finished talking to the owner of the nightclub. He had to do a double check as he stood at the bar flashing a picture of Rosco, Sonny had faxed to him.  
  
What is she doing here, he had thought to himself.  
  
"Take your hands off of her," he growled.  
  
"Hey!" Dan exclaimed. "I didn't know she belonged to you!"  
  
Jason put his arm around Elizabeth and guided her away from the bar. "What are you doing here?" he said irately.  
  
"I'm looking for leads about Jaime," she yelled.  
  
He motioned over to an empty corner of the room. "It'll be quieter over there," he yelled.  
  
As they sat down on a couple of the chairs strewed around in the corner. "Jason, did you find out anything?" she asked.  
  
"You still haven't told me why you are here. Especially when you told me you wouldn't come," he sighed.  
  
"Jason, I just told you I wouldn't push coming with you. I never said I wouldn't come by myself," Elizabeth explained.  
  
Jason rubbed his face in frustration, "Elizabeth you could've been hurt, or gotten lost, or worse. You don't know Italy. And by the looks of that bartender, he had other things in mind for you," he reprimanded.  
  
"Jason, look, I'm not a little girl. I can handle myself!" she exclaimed angrily. "I took care of Helena didn't I?"  
  
That retort silenced Jason.  
  
He knew she could handle herself.  
  
Jason nodded. "All right. I shouldn't baby you, but you need to trust me when I say that you can't come, in certain situations. I'm not trying to baby you. I…I just know that the situation is more dangerous than a Helena Cassadine, all right? These guys have guns rather than using mind games. Do…do you understand?"  
  
"Yeah. I understand," she sighed. "I won't go anywhere if you really think it's dangerous. But only if it's really dangerous. Not some fact finding mission, okay?"  
  
Jason shook her outstretched hand. "Fine. Now I've talked to the manager, and he's seen Rosco, but he didn't say anything else. I haven't had time to talk to anyone else. What were you doing with the bartender?"  
  
"Oh!" Elizabeth said excitedly, like she had just remembered something. "I was getting information from him."  
  
Jason laughed at the twinkle in her eye. She really got a kick out of it. "What did you find out Miss Detective?" he teased.  
  
"I found out the same thing, that Rosco was here about five days ago. He was meeting some guy named Manisso? I don't know who he is, but apparently he's here tonight."  
  
Jason became interested at the name Manisso. Where had he heard that name before?  
  
Jason grabbed Elizabeth's hand and proceeded to lead her to the back room hidden by a beaded curtain. "Elizabeth, when we get in there, let me do the talking all right?" he commanded.  
  
He looked back at Elizabeth and she nodded her head in agreement.  
  
As Jason and Elizabeth worked their way through the hot sweaty crowd and into the back room, they found it surprisingly quiet. Behind the beaded curtain they found a smoke-filled room dimly lit. There were tables of men and women talking and whispering to each other. They were also doing other unmentionable things.  
  
A large man stopped Jason as he moved forward towards one of the tables. "Name?" he asked.  
  
Jason paused and slipped into his hand a wad of bills. "I need to know what table Manisso is at," he stated.  
  
The guard whispered into Jason's ear and pointed to the far corner booth. "He's the man in the grey suit and beard."  
  
Jason walked towards the booth. 


	29. 29

1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
1.1 Chapter Twenty Nine  
  
  
  
Rosco walked away from that encounter pleased with himself. She was falling for it. Rosco knew she wouldn't fall for the change of heart so quickly. He deviously left clues that it was someone else that was controlling her release rather himself.  
  
Rosco knew it would be easy to make her fall for him. Sure he would have to make her forget the man she'd known all those years ago with Sorel's dealings with Lee. Rosco knew he could. He had an entire file on Jaime Nam.  
  
Rosco entered his study and pulled it out. She'd grown up in Korea, Italy, and most of southern Asia. Her mother had died when she was 15. Jaime had grown estranged with her family around that time. She had a "second" family with the Bartolli's. Jaime had managed to disappear from her family's radar for a couple of years. She was close to her brother Lawrie. Jaime had a black belt in Tae Kwan Do, trained in the art of Wu Tan, and took Kung Fu also. He had quite the fighter on his hands. He could use that to his advantage.  
  
Rosco looked at the folder for a few more minutes before he received a phone call.  
  
"Rosco, someone's sniffing around about the girl," a man's voice reported  
  
"Do you know who?" Rosco was amazed that Lee had figured it out so fast.  
  
"It isn't Lee. It's another guy. He's got a girl with him. Do you want me to take care of them?"  
  
"Let me think about it. I might be able to use this to my advantage. Just keep them busy okay. I just need a couple of weeks."  
  
Rosco set the phone down on its cradle. He never thought about others looking for Jaime. She must not have come to visit her family. Rosco realized he'd have to work a little faster than he would have liked.  
  
~~  
  
Rosco had a little talk with Ben and Jake later that afternoon. "What do you guys think of the girl?"  
  
"What do you mean Boss?" Jake asked.  
  
"Do you think she's attractive?"  
  
Ben and Jake looked at each other in disbelief. "I wouldn't mind gettin' me a little some of that!"  
  
Ben laughed.  
  
Rosco sighed at their coarseness. This would do, he thought. "Well, I need you to do this one thing for me…"  
  
***  
  
"Hey! Anyone?" Jaime yelled through the heavy oak door. She kicked the door.  
  
Jaime needed a shower and she would annoy them until they gave it to her. Suddenly the door opened and Ben and Jake came in. "What do you want?" Ben growled.  
  
"I need to take a shower. I know you guys don't care what you look or smell like, but I do!"  
  
Ben and Jake looked at each other and smiled. They left the room, locking it and went down a flight of stairs. Jaime slumped onto the bed, waiting for them to come back.  
  
The approaching footsteps drew near when the door suddenly opened to reveal two smiling men. "Sure."  
  
~~  
  
Jaime soaked up the hot water that beat down on her dry dirt-stained body.  
  
Gosh this feels so good.  
  
Jaime got out of the shower and she thanked God that it was filled with lotions and moisturizers. She lathered her skin in the cool liquid and grabbed the nearby brush. Jaime fought her way through her long black hair. It hadn't been brushed for days and it had grown gnarls, which were painful. After refreshing herself, she hoped she could push her captors a little further.  
  
Jaime wrapped the towel around her body and peeked out the door. "Hey, can I get some clean clothes? There's no point in showering if I have to get back into these dirty clothes." She threw the dirty clothes at the two men.  
  
They cocked their head trying to get a glimpse of what was behind the door. "Yeah. Rosco put some in the room," they leered.  
  
"Well could you bring them to me?"  
  
The men laughed. "Sorry, can't do that. You can change in your room."  
  
Jaime cringed. "How am I supposed to get from this bathroom down the hall in this towel?"  
  
"Hey, from what I've seen honey, you've got nothing to be ashamed of!" Ben exclaimed.  
  
Jaime groaned. "Come on guys. Just do me this one favor?" Jaime pleaded, batting her eyelashes.  
  
"Sorry," Jake laughed. "Orders are orders."  
  
"Who gives stupid orders like that?" Jaime yelled. She slammed the bathroom door.  
  
After a couple of deep breaths she steadied herself for the disgusting stares of the two men. There came a knock on the door. "Hey, time's up."  
  
Jaime lifted her head up high and walked out of the room. She suddenly stopped to see Rosco at the foyer looking up at her. Jaime abruptly turned her head straight ahead and stalked into her room.  
  
She heard Ben and Jake follow behind her whispering. Jaime pulled down the towel just in case there was something they might see. As Jaime entered her room she saw a large man's button-up shirt on the bed along with a pair of sweats. She shooed the men out of her room. After she safely heard the click of the bedroom door close, Jaime put on the man's shirt. Jaime looked at herself in the vanity mirror attached to the dresser.  
  
It was really big. Oh well, it's clean.  
  
She didn't bother putting on the sweats right away. Jaime always liked to sleep in a big t-shirt anyway. She would put them on during the day. Suddenly she heard a creak of the door. As she turned around, Jaime saw Ben stalking into her room and closing the door behind him. She heard a click and a turn of a key. Jaime was locked in.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"I'm getting me a little su'mpin su'mpin."  
  
He walked towards her and backed her into the bed. Jaime fell backwards, but she quickly rolled over to the other side of the bed. "Somebody help!" Jaime yelled.  
  
"No one can hear you except Jake and he's next!" he sneered.  
  
"Somebody help me!!!!!" she screamed.  
  
Jaime automatically put herself in stance. He laughed. "Are you going to kung fu me little girl?"  
  
As he was distracted by his thoughts Jaime lunged for his solar plexus and then karate chopped him in the throat. This made him grunt and then gasp for air. She round house kicked him onto the bed. Jaime heard voices talking outside the door.  
  
"Helllllppp!" Jaime yelled.  
  
A man's voice raised above the other. "Get out of my way!" She heard a thump and a jostling of keys. The person at the door distracted her, and Ben managed to grab her from behind and pull her onto the bed. He lay on top of her, his one hand restraining both her arms and the other beginning to unbutton her shirt. "Help! Hurry!"  
  
Finally the door was kicked open. It was Rosco.  
  
Oh great! Jaime had thought maybe it was Jason coming to her rescue.  
  
She continued to scream. "Someone help me!!!"  
  
Jaime expected Rosco to take Ben's place as he stalked forward, but she caught a twinkle in his eye. In a flash he was on top of Ben. Rosco pulled off of her. As she crawled to the end of the bed, she looked out the door and saw Jake lying on the floor.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" Rosco yelled. He had a firm grasp on Ben's throat. Rosco then proceeded to jab him in the stomach when Ben didn't say anything. As Ben lay on the floor, Rosco kicked him in the stomach. "Don't you EVER do that AGAIN! Did I not say, don't touch her?"  
  
Jaime was stunned for a moment. Then she realized she had a chance to escape. Jaime ran for the door and jumped over Jake's body. As she got to the bottom of the stairs, three large men stopped Jaime. She curled up into a ball as they began to bring her upstairs.  
  
Rosco stood at the top of the stairs overtop of Jake's body. "No. Don't bring her up here. Take her to my study, and guard her. Don't hurt her. Ben's done enough of that."  
  
The three men took her down a hallway, which seemed to be hidden underneath the stairwell. They sat her gently down onto a leather couch, which leaned against a large bookshelf and left the room. Jaime surveyed around the room. It had two glass doors. She ran to them and found them locked.  
  
Jaime sat back down dejectedly. Will she never get out of here? Oh God, please help me. Please let Jason find me.  
  
Jaime prayed silently when she heard the door open. It was Rosco. She pulled her shirt down over top of her knees and watched him out of the corner of her eye. He walked over to the glass doors, looking at the view. He seemed concerned.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked while he continued to look out the window.  
  
Should she answer?  
  
"I'm fine. I gave him a couple of things to hurt over," she said shortly.  
  
Jaime wished her legs would stop shaking. The feeling of Ben's body smothering hers remained fresh in her mind. She shivered.  
  
Rosco looked at her. "Are you cold?"  
  
"No." She turned her face away from him. Jaime could feel the tears welling up in her throat and the next thing she knew they ran down her face. Her fingers nonchalantly wiped the tears from the rims of her eyes.  
  
Be strong. You are strong. Isn't that what Jason told her?  
  
Jaime felt hands put something around her. She jerked away. "Get away from me!"  
  
Rosco loomed over her. His face stoic. "I just thought you might be cold," he stated.  
  
Jaime looked around her shoulders. It was his suit jacket. She slipped her arms in the sleeves. It was large, as large as her shirt.  
  
The shirt must be his.  
  
"Thank you," she mumbled.  
  
He sat down beside her one leg propped up on the couch. She backed into the couch's armrest. "I won't come any closer," he whispered.  
  
"What do you want?" Jaime asked, nearly in tears again.  
  
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I never imagined that would happen."  
  
"I don't care what you thought. It did happen, didn't it?" she accused.  
  
"I wish I had gotten there sooner."  
  
"I wish you'd just let me go!" she sniffled. Jaime hid her eyes in her hands.  
  
She felt him move closer, but she had no where to go. Jaime flinched as he touched her wrists. They were a little bruised from Ben's rough grip. Rosco lightly pulled her to him.  
  
"Why can't you just let me go?" Jaime mumbled as she began to cry into Rosco's shoulders.  
  
His arms embraced her and Jaime couldn't stop the flood of tears if she had tried.  
  
"Just let me go!" she whispered. 


	30. 30

1 Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True  
  
1.1 Chapter Thirty  
  
"Mr. Morgan! Gianni told me you were looking for me. What can I do for you?" Manisso spoke calmly, glancing over to Elizabeth.  
  
"Rosco. Where is he?" Jason quietly demanded.  
  
"Rossssccoo? Mmmm, I'm not sure I know who you're talking about."  
  
"Listen, Manisso, if you know who you're dealing with it would be in your best interest to start talking," Jason threatened.  
  
Manisso? I knew I knew that name. He was a contractor in Italy when the Nam's were living here last. He was 'found' dead floating down the Sienne. Or so Lee thought.  
  
"Look mister, I'm not sure who you are or who you're working with, but I don't know anything," he said casually.  
  
Jason lifted him up out of the booth and pressed him against the wall. "Obviously you don't know who you're dealing with. I'm sure you're familiar with the Nam's, aren't you?"  
  
"No," he squeaked, and then clearing his voice said much firmer, "No. I have no idea who you're talking about.  
  
Jason noticed even in the dim lighting, that his face paled. "Yes, I think you do," he paused. "Do you know anything about Rosco? I think you're in over your head."  
  
The man began to squirm. "Hey, I don't know any Rosco!"  
  
Jason could see him lying through his teeth. He thought to himself, 'Better scare him a little. He doesn't seem the type to crack very easily.' "You don't know Rosco. Okay," he paused again. "Well, let me paint you a picture of the people you're dealing with. Now, it happens that there's a man named Lee Nam who happens to hold a wealth of power. His daughter happens to be missing. Actually she's been gone for about, hmmm, let me think, oh, about 5 days now. Now this Rosco whom you don't know has kidnapped this girl. I'm pretty sure if this Rosco guy had a plan and he wanted help he'd come to the man whom he'd helped a little while ago, fake his death. What do you think Manisso?"  
  
Jason felt the struggle cease between this man and his brute strength. "I…I didn't…I didn't know!" he exclaimed.  
  
"What didn't you know?" Elizabeth exclaimed, stepping forward into the foray.  
  
Jason shot her a warning glance. It worked, she backed down.  
  
"What didn't he tell you?"  
  
"He didn't tell me what he needed it for!" he cried. The once determined and strong man collapsed into a shamble of tears. He aged in those few moments and Jason noticed the grey hairs and the creases in his face from worrying so much.  
  
Jason didn't know how to deal with that. He wasn't expecting him to break down.  
  
"Tell me what you know," he commanded.  
  
"He'll kill me!" the man sobbed.  
  
Jason looked around the secret room and the crowd of people that once inhabited the room had left. "I'll hurt you before he even gets to you, if you don't tell me what you know!"  
  
The man refused. He seemed to gain back the composure he'd lost and sat up straight. "You provide me with a passage out of Italy, then I'll tell you what you need to know," he stated.  
  
Jason knew the look in the man's eye. His fear of Rosco consumed him far worse than Jason could. And Jason understood. He'd seen Rosco's handy work. Jason could do nothing, but agree.  
  
***  
  
Elizabeth had never seen Jason threaten a man before. Oh she'd seen him protect himself or her from Sorel, but never threaten a defenceless man. Is he really that defenceless? He helped Rosco kidnap Jaime! But Elizabeth couldn't help but shiver in light of the new side she'd seen of Jason. This is the side he's never wanted me to see.  
  
It saddened Elizabeth that it seemed he led a double life. Jason wasn't anything like the man that stood threatening Manisso, but working in a business where everyone wanted to take what you had, it was just a part of Jason. Elizabeth knew that it didn't consume him. She even, in some way, loved that part of him. In a way, Elizabeth felt safe knowing that Jason could protect her, that he would do anything to protect her.  
  
"Elizabeth," Jason nudged her shoulder. "We're taking him out back. I've got a car there. Follow me and don't get too far behind. The crowd will separate us and time is against us. We need to find Jaime and we need to find her fast."  
  
"Why? Do you think Rosco's hurt her? Killed her?" Elizabeth felt her breath catch in her throat at the last question.  
  
"No. I don't think he wants to kill her. But I'm worried about her Elizabeth," he paused. "I mean, he hasn't even contacted Lee. He's got to be up to something."  
  
Elizabeth followed Jason who held Manisso in front of him.  
  
***  
  
Nikolas fully intended to keep Gia all to himself that night in the club. He hadn't known Venice to be such a modern city. He had kept dreaming of all the old movies he'd seen -- with clay buildings, everything brown or beige. But Gia had found ways to open his mind about Italy.  
  
She had been the one to discover this nightclub. Wrapping his arms around the stunning woman in front of him, he kissed the nape of her neck. "You know Gia, I can think of better ways to spend our evenings," he chuckled suggestively.  
  
"Oh, Nikolas!" she laughed and pulled him closer to her, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Dance with me this last slow song, and we'll go back to the hotel."  
  
"It's a deal!" he said kissing her again, but on the shoulder this time.  
  
As the he slowly twirled her across the nightclub, trying not to bump into the mass of bodies, something caught his eye. Elizabeth? He was about to call her over, when he realized she was not alone. Not that he was expecting her to be. He looked around for Jaime, but realized that she was not with Elizabeth. Nikolas then did a double take. Jason? Elizabeth's here with Jason?  
  
Nikolas shook his head. No! It couldn't be. Could it? Then Nikolas got his answer. The man in the leather jacket walking ahead of the following Elizabeth turned around to speak. Jason.  
  
"Honey?" Gia whispered into his ear. "What's the matter?"  
  
"Huh?" Nikolas replied. "Oh, uh, nothing honey. Let's go back to the hotel."  
  
Nikolas guided his fiancé out of the nightclub.  
  
***  
  
Elizabeth remained quiet the entire drive to nowhere. She didn't know exactly where they were, but it was deserted and had no buildings except one old rickety shack. Jason had been on the phone the entire time they were driving, but he was whispering so quietly that she couldn't make out what he was saying.  
  
Elizabeth followed Jason as he took Manisso out of the car and guided him to the old shack. The old man held his head up high as he entered the dark room. She knew he must have been scared out of his mind. Elizabeth knew she was, and she wasn't even part of the conspiracy.  
  
"Where are we?" Manisso demanded.  
  
"We're somewhere safe for the moment," Jason answered. He turned and dead- bolted the door behind him.  
  
"Jason, " she asked quietly, tugging on his leather jacket, "Where are we? And what are we going to do with him? Or should I say, what are you going to do with him?"  
  
Elizabeth knew Jason wouldn't hurt the old man, but she knew they needed to find Jaime soon. She looked at her watch. It was 12 a.m. Oh, another day, another ulcer to worry about. Elizabeth didn't know how much more worry she could do.  
  
Jason had pulled a string hanging in the middle of the ceiling. A bright light filled the wooden shack. It was pretty much empty, it had a couple of crates stacked against the walls and a worn table.  
  
Elizabeth suddenly realized how tired she was. She leaned up against the weather worn walls and closed her eyes. Elizabeth listened as Jason spoke to the man.  
  
"Tell me where Jaime is and whatever else you know about Rosco's plan and I'll let you get on a plane that's been chartered to get you the hell out of here."  
  
There was silence for a moment, and then Manisso's tired voice spoke. "How do I know you're not going to turn me over to Nam's men, or just blow up the plane while I'm in it?" he challenged.  
  
"Because I'm not going to," Jason stated firmly. "One way or the other, I'm going to find out what happened to Ms. Nam. It's either going to be easy on you, or very, very hard."  
  
"I want to arrange my own plans and then I'll tell you."  
  
"That's not going to happen," Jason said very calmly.  
  
"Well, I don't trust your kind."  
  
Elizabeth couldn't let this go on forever. "Manisso, right?" Elizabeth asked, walking towards the old man.  
  
Jason glared at her, warning her to stay out of this. Elizabeth kept her eyes on Manisso and ignored his stares. "Listen, Jason's telling the truth. I know you don't have any reason to trust us, but I'm telling you the truth. We just want to find Jaime. We don't care if you pay for what you did or didn't do. We just want to find Jaime."  
  
Manisso seemed to study her. His mouth pursed together and he seemed to debate under his breath whether to trust the blue-eyed American girl.  
  
"Please. Help us find her. She's done nothing to you."  
  
Manisso opened his mouth to protest, but then he thought better of it. "All right. You've convinced me. I will trust you. I don't know about this man here, but you I trust."  
  
Elizabeth smiled at the man. "Thank you. You won't regret it."  
  
Manisso faced Jason. "You put me on that plane and I'll tell you everything you need to know."  
  
Jason nodded and smiled at Elizabeth in approval.  
  
Elizabeth smiled back and winked. 'I told you so!' she mouthed. 


	31. 31

****

Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True

Chapter Thirty One

Rosco softened as he felt her melt in his arms. The plan had gone exactly as he'd planned. He was delighted when he'd heard her yell for help. Rosco had pretended to fumble with the keys outside the door. Then he'd had a brilliant plan, Rosco would make a hero's entrance and he kicked down the door.

He couldn't forget how small she would look under Ben's body. It was almost like she was being crushed. Rosco had felt a surge of adrenaline at the scene and pulled him off of Jaime. He hadn't quite planned Ben to get that far. He had told them to scare her so he could "rescue" her, not do any of the things he saw Ben doing.

__

Rosco didn't know what made him do it but he punched Ben in the stomach. Ben had this surprised look on his face. He had yelled at him, "What do you think you're doing?" and Ben had felt the full impact of his punch. He had crumpled before him. He remembered yelling at him again. "Don't you EVER do that AGAIN! Did I not say, don't touch her?"

When he had turned to comfort Jaime, he found an empty room. Rosco ran to the top of the stairs. He felt a wave of relief when he saw that Jack, Cam, and Dale had enough sense of mind to come to the stairs. They had stopped her from escaping.

Then he saw her. She had curled up in a ball. It was the first time he really saw her. It disturbed Rosco. He then told them to take her to his study. He got Ben and Jake up and got rid of them. He paid them a couple day's wages and sent them on their way.

"Hey!" Ben exclaimed, "I should get extra for the pounding you and she gave to me!"

Rosco sneered, "I never told you to touch her or try to get your jollies off. I told you to frighten her. Make her think you are after her."

He handed him a little extra and stalked off.

Rosco never imagined when he entered that room he'd feel remorse. 

__

I never told him to do that to her, just frighten her. I shouldn't feel guilty.

His arms wrapped around her tighter as her tears continued to flow.

__

She was so small. What was I thinking? I could have done it a different way!

Rosco held her until she fell asleep. He slipped his arm under her knees and lifted her up in his arms. "She's lighter than I thought," he whispered.

As he climbed up the stairs he opted to put her in the bedroom beside his. Rosco didn't think she'd want to stay in the other room. He laid her down on the bed and tugged the covers that lay under her out from under her and tucked her in. Jaime's hair covered her face as she turned on her side. Rosco sat on the bed and stared at the feisty woman he'd always been riled by, now lying quietly asleep.

Rosco reached over and brushed her hair out of her face. _She was beautiful._ In some unsettling way, he didn't blame Ben for wanting her. Rosco shook his head. 

__

What was he thinking?

He straightened his tie and walked out of the room, quietly closing the door.

__

Get a grip man! Rosco walked away with Jaime on his mind.

***

Jaime sat up with a start. "No!" Her body felt cold and clammy.

__

Was it a dream? Am I back in Venice?

Jaime looked around her. The room didn't seem familiar, but she knew that it hadn't been a dream. She had been attacked the other night.

__

Rosco.

He had been the last one she'd expected to rescue her. Rosco had also been the last one she'd thought of to comfort her. His arms had been strong but gentle. Jaime closed her eyes for a moment. 

He must _have carried me upstairs last night._

Jaime lay back onto the pillow. Had she been wrong about him?

Knock knock.

Jaime sat up quickly, grabbing a hand full of cover to pull against her chest. "Come in."

It was Rosco. He seemed hesitant to come into the room. "How are you?"

Jaime couldn't let him think that she was as wishy washy as she had been the night before. "I'm fine," she stated. Jaime noticed a pile of clothes at the end of the bed. They were hers, just washed and pressed.

Jaime got out of bed and grabbed the pile of clothes. Then she noticed something about Rosco. Jaime couldn't pin point it. Something was different about him.

Rosco's disposition seemed to change with hers. He was all business. "I figured you might be getting restless in the room so I thought I'd offer to let you use the gym I've found."

"What do you mean, 'found'? Don't you own this place?"

He paused and then changed the subject. "There are clothes in the dresser drawers if you need them."

"So wait," Jaime still on the topic, "Are you saying that you're in someone else's house?"

Silence. _ How frustrating?_

Suddenly she realized what it was that was different. Rosco wasn't wearing a suit. He was in a pair of jeans and a tight t-shirt. You could see the bulge of his muscles. Jaime shook her head. She didn't even know why she noticed that.

Jaime found that in this room was access to a bathroom with shower and tub. She definitely liked this room better. Jaime closed the door on Rosco and she went to change. After brushing her teeth, brushing her hair and putting on some lip gloss she'd found.

__

Not that I need to look pretty for him or anything, she laughed to herself.

Jaime walked out of the bathroom half expecting him to have left, but he was still standing there, in the same spot. "Don't you have mobster things to do? You know, people to hurt or scare?"

He smirked.

__

Good. Things are back to normal.

"Oh, no. I'm here to be at your beck and call," he said facetiously.

"Oh, well then. Can I get some breakfast?" Jaime batted her eyes like a fair damsel in one of those sickening silent movies.

"Of course."

He seemed to stare at her more intensely than before. Jaime swallowed the lump in her throat. She couldn't tell if he was serious. Jaime had been having her meals in her room ever since she'd been there. But she didn't know what was happening with Ben and Jake gone. Or she'd hoped they'd gone.

Rosco seemed to move out of the path of the door and gesture her to walk through them. Jaime flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked down the stairs. There was a man down the stairs standing against the wall.

__

It's like living with my Father!

Jaime hated this life. She looked behind her. Rosco smiled intently at her.

__

Creepy.

Jaime had to admit though she appreciated the idea that he wasn't a complete cretin. A gangster with morals? Jaime didn't quite believe that about Rosco.

Rosco walked behind her until they reached the foyer and he then took her by the elbow to lead her to the dining room. It was a fairly big room. It had large oak china cabinets stained darkly. The table had been set for two.

__

So he planned this breakfast? Jaime had an unsettling feeling about this situation. _God, what is he planning?_

The maid set down plates of bacon, eggs, and toast. It had been the first time Jaime had ever seen anyone except Rosco's men. They ate in silence.

Jaime didn't quite know what to make of Rosco. She knew him to be a callus angry man. But she'd never seen him quite as tender as last night. Nor did she wish to, but it happened. "Why are you treating me like this?" she asked breaking the silence.

He looked at her, studying her face. "I'm keeping you captive, I'm not here to torture you."

Before Jaime could ask another question, one of his men brought a cell phone to him. "A call sir."

Rosco took the phone, all the while his gaze content to rest upon her. "Hello? Yeah. No. We were supposed to have let …" he paused and turned away from her whispering. "We were supposed to let her go by now."

Jaime caught the tail end of the conversation. _So he wasn't the mastermind?_

She began picking at her scrambled eggs when Rosco looked at her to check if she was listening. 

__

Maybe he wasn't so bad?

Jaime still wasn't so sure about that though.

****


	32. 32

****

Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True

Chapter Thirty Two

Jason watched Manisso board the plane, then Elizabeth and lastly himself. Manisso seemed to inspect the plane. It was a small twin-engine plane, its chartered destination unknown.

"All right then, you've had your night's sleep. Tell me what you know about Jaime." Jason looked at his watch. It was 10 a.m. It was getting late. They got up later than Jason had anticipated and then had to wait for the plane to arrive.

"Rosco, came to me six nights ago asking for a villa to stay in. He asked that it be secluded and large. I told him I couldn't help him. I had no such place. I mean, after my 'death' I had nothing except the clothes on the 'stranger's back' and what I had managed to save up in a few months work. Rosco demanded I find him a place that night. He was in a terrible mood. I told him of a couple of friends who had a country villa. It was a large estate and was well secured."

"Where is it?" Jason asked.

Manisso waved his hand for him to slow down. "Don't worry, I'll get there. He chased my friends off the estate and threatened to kill them if they didn't remain quiet. I told my friends I'd put them up in a little apartment I had in the city until the man left. So they kept quiet."

"Get to it. Where is the estate?" Jason commanded.

"It's in the country, just off the autobahn. You take the #65 down to the autobahn and take the third exit off. You go down at least 16 miles down the road and turn left of the Carleni's vineyard. You go down seven miles from there and you'll see a grove of trees. Behind those trees is the Prellei's estate."

Jason quickly jotted down the directions. He nodded to the man.

"Thank you," Elizabeth said softly. Jason had almost forgotten that she was there.

"Elizabeth let's go." Jason motioned her out the door.

As she climbed down the steps, Jason began closing the door. Manisso stopped him. "Thank you for not telling Mr. Nam. He would have killed me."

Jason nodded and pulled the door until it sealed shut.

As Jason and Elizabeth stood by the black sedan, they watched the plane pull away. Elizabeth protected her face in his chest. Jason wrapped one of his arms around her and with the other shielded his face from the propellers' blast.

"Jason?" Elizabeth asked, as soon as the plane was far enough that the wind didn't blow them away. "What would have Mr. Nam have done if he had found Manisso?"

"I can't…" Jason didn't finish his sentence.

In the distance, a couple of feet up into the take off, the plane flashed in a burst of smoke and flames. BOOM! A rush of air blast against them.

Jason pulled Elizabeth into him, shielding her from the warm air that came from the wreckage. Both of them slowly stood up as they watched the ball of flame fall from the sky.

"Jason, you…you…you didn't know that was going to happen…did you?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes fixed on the now smouldering black twisted metal.

"No!" he exclaimed.

Jason scanned the area, his hand grasping the revolver that was holstered on his shoulder. "Elizabeth, get in the car!" he said calmly.

Elizabeth was in shock and didn't move from her position in front of the sedan. Jason shuffled her into the passenger seat. "And stay down."

Jason surveyed the flat terrain. He saw no movement. Jason slowly got into the car and started the engine. He began to back out and turn onto the road, which lead to the autobahn.

Out of nowhere a black car with tinted windows blocked their exit. Jason quickly manoeuvred the car towards the airstrip. But suddenly another black tinted car drove to block their escape. The cars boxed them in. Jason grabbed Elizabeth's hand and pulled her from the sedan. "Elizabeth, we're gonna have to make a run for it!" Jason whispered.

"Where?" she cried hysterically, "There's nowhere to run to."

Jason scanned the terrain once more. They were close enough to a small set of bushes that they could possibly make it, but Jason hesitated. He didn't want to risk Elizabeth's life if there wasn't a chance. But they were sitting ducks in the car.

"Mr. Morgan," an older man's voice called out through a speaker.

Jason peeked out over the dashboard. They were surrounded by four, armed men in black suits. They were Asian in descent and had black sunglasses on. "The Nams."

"Who?" Elizabeth gasped.

Jason sat up straight. "Elizabeth, it's the Nams."

"Mr. Morgan, please step out of the car and meet me in my limousine."

Jason scanned the airstrip again and found a long white limo driving towards them. "Jason," Elizabeth whispered, "Did they just kill Massino?"

"I assume so," Jason stated.

"Then why are we going to meet them?"

Jason turned to Elizabeth. "They won't hurt us Elizabeth. Massino had unfinished business with Mr. Nam. I can't explain it to you right now Elizabeth, but he's not going to kill us."

"Fine," she said shakily. "Let's go then."

Jason got out of the sedan and walked around to the passenger side. He helped the trembling Elizabeth out of the car. "We'll be fine. I promise."

Jason kissed her on the top of her head and led her to the waiting white limousine.

***

__

Oh please don't let them kill us. Oh please!

Elizabeth couldn't stop praying. It was the first time she really ever experienced true fear. The fear she had of Helena had been one mingled with disgust and anger. This experience was just plain excruciating fear.

"We'll be fine. I promise," Jason said, kissing her on the head. He walked her towards the limousine. 

Elizabeth found herself afraid that her knees would give way. "Jason, I'm making you keep that promise."

He stopped her just before the limousine. Jason cupped her face and gazed into her petrified grey eyes. "Elizabeth," he paused. "You know I care for you and I will protect you, right? I am promising you…I will not let them hurt you. Do you understand me?"

Elizabeth felt his eyes pierce through the shock of the plane explosion and the overwhelming sense of helplessness she felt as they tried to speed away from the menacing cars. Closing her eyes she nodded her head. Elizabeth took a deep breath and regained her composure. "I'll be fine Jason." Elizabeth grabbed Jason's hand and he squeezed it.

Elizabeth swallowed hard as they entered the dark, leather-interior limo.

"Mr. Morgan. Ms. Webber. How nice to see you again! Please have a seat." Mr. Nam spoke politely.

"Mr. Nam," Elizabeth gulped. "What brings you here?"

Elizabeth slid against the well cared for leather seats. She felt Jason's hand squeeze hers as he slid in beside her. "Mr. Nam," Jason greeted.

"Mr. Morgan. How glad I am to see you? I am sorry to have frightened you that way, I just needed to speak to you about how the search is going."

"I think you already know, don't you?" Elizabeth accused. She covered her mouth, appalled at how she had lost self-control. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

Mr. Nam eyed Elizabeth for a moment. "I think you did…Ms. Webber."  


Elizabeth lowered her gaze to the floor of the limousine.

"Mr. Morgan, Ms. Webber is correct in her assumptions, however misplaced they may be. I know about Massino. What I want to know is why you didn't inform me about this turn in the investigation?" Mr. Nam glared at Jason.

Elizabeth watched Jason continue to remain calm. She always admired that trait in him and wished that Elizabeth, herself could remain calm herself.

"We were too involved in the investigation to call you at the time. We had to move fast to find Jaime. Even now, we are wasting precious time trying to find her."

Mr. Nam studied Jason, seeming to look for any trace of insecurity. '_He won't find any,' _Elizabeth laughed to herself.

"I think you could take a little more time to _inform_ me of little finds like Mr. Manisso," he said carefully, waiting to see if Jason got his full meaning.

"I didn't think that was necessary. The objective is to get Jaime back. I could care less about Manisso."

Mr. Nam nodded. "I suppose you are correct Mr. Morgan. Excuse me for overstepping. I am…I am just worried about my daughter."

"Well, I think we've wasted enough time, don't you?" Elizabeth quipped. "I mean, we could be out finding her right now, right Jase?"

Jason nodded. Mr Nam bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement of their desire to leave. "Please, keep me informed Mr. Morgan? Ms. Webber?

Both of them nodded. 

As Elizabeth felt the hot breeze of the air hit her face, she greeted it with a smile. Never had she ever been so intimidated by one person in her life. Even her family didn't quite match up.

"Jason," she finally spoke when they reached the sedan. "Why didn't you tell them about the Perelli's villa?"

"Because Jaime wouldn't want him to know. Besides, the information will slip when and if we find Jaime there."

Elizabeth nodded as she got into the passenger seat. She breathed a sigh of relief to be away from all of the tension and stress of that situation.

"Jason, she's going to all right isn't she?"

Jason didn't say anything for a moment. "We'll get to her in time Elizabeth, for whatever they are planning for her."


	33. 33

****

Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True

Chapter Thirty Three

Rosco couldn't help smiling as he watched her pick at her eggs. He knew she had heard. He _made_ _sure _she heard. Rosco got off the cell phone, pretended to whisper something in Dale's ear and then got back to finishing the last of his toast.

"Are you up for a tour of the house?" he asked.

"Why are you going to give me a tour of the house?" she asked suspiciously.

"Because then you'll know where everything is while you stay here."

She seemed to ponder a moment before asking her next question. "What makes you think that I won't escape after you give me a tour?"

He laughed. "Because I have guards all over the property. You wouldn't be able to get out of here if you tried."

"How do I know you're not just saying that? You could as easily just have the three guards that I've seen so far."

__

She was smart. He did only have the three guards, not including the maid, housekeeper and one driver.

"Trust me. I'm not lying," he lied.

"Whatever gives you the idea that I'll EVER trust you?"

He thought about his answer. Rosco tried not to sound too cocky. "Because I saved you."

Her face flushed at his answer. "You did not save me. You fulfilled your responsibility to me as a captor to keep me out of harms way," she replied.

Rosco kept his amusement hidden. _She had quite the skill to spin things the way she wanted them to be._

"Fine. I did my duty. Now can we go on the tour?"

"Fine."

~~

Rosco led her around the house. He showed her the gym, the pool, the library, the kitchen. Rosco led her to the final destination. It was the reason for the tour. He led her to the outside garden. Rosco had never been out there per se, but the guards made sure it was enclosed and there were no escape paths.

"This is the garden."

"Wow!" Jaime exclaimed. 

They walked down the stone path, which was enclosed by overhanging boughs. The trees were in bloom. The delicate blossoms decorated the luscious green branches. As they neared the end of the long winding path, Rosco was surprised at the destination and if the gasp emanating from Jaime's lips was any indication, so was she.

Their eyes fell upon a wall of roses, roses of all sorts. The roses seemed to draw them closer and closer until Jaime was touching each rose with her fingertips. Her eyes were filled with delight. "Did you know that this was here?" she asked.

"No," he replied honestly. "I never knew these wall of roses were even in this garden." He was still in awe of the vibrant colors of red, pink, yellow, white and a variety of different shades of the colors.

"Do you think the owners of this 'confiscated' house would mind if I took one?"

Rosco watched Jaime finger one single dusty pink rose. He searched his jeans for the Swiss Army Knife he always carried around. He found it in his left back pocket.

Rosco walked over to the rose Jaime fingered and inched her over so that he could grasp its stem. His knife sliced through the thorny green stem. He cut the thorns off so that she wouldn't prick her fingers. Rosco then put the knife away in his pocket.

"_For you_," he whispered offering the flower to Jaime.

Jaime looked up into his eyes. She didn't know what to make of this. 

__

Is he trying to manipulate me in someway?

"Thank you," she said awkwardly, taking the flower from his hand.

Jaime suddenly realized how close he was to her. He was no more than a couple inches away from her. Rosco's hand reached down to caress her cheek and trail down her neck. It sent a shiver down her spine.

She turned away from him. _What was happening? How did they get from loathing each other to…to…this?_

"Jaime…" he said huskily.

Jaime felt his hands rest on her shoulders. She stiffened her body. "I think we should get back, don't you?" she dismissed.

She felt his hands fall off her shoulders. "Yeah. You're right. I've got things to do, " he coughed.

As Jaime turned to walk back down the path with him, but all she could see was his back strolling towards the house.

__

I don't know what's happening, God.

Jaime sat down in the soft grass underneath her. She unconsciously began to caress her cheek with the rose, smelling it's wonderful scent.

Jaime never dated. She thought it as amazing as when others found out she'd never dated. Jaime travelled so much that she never stayed in a school long enough to meet a guy she liked. In some ways she was happy not to have jumped from boy to boy, but in a situation like this, how was she supposed to handle it?

Jaime always believed in a true love. When she became a Christian she learned that God had planned a perfect person with whom she'd spend her entire life. So Jaime never thought anything about it. 

__

Well, maybe except the time when she met Jason. He had given her pause, but it wasn't meant to be.

Rosco surely didn't believe in God, not the business he was in. But part of her seemed drawn to him.

__

God help me! I don't know what it is Rosco is planning, but I need you to protect me. I don't want to get hurt.

***

Rosco walked back to the house unnerved. _He had done that because of his plan, right?_ He didn't know anymore. 

Rosco felt himself being drawn in by her. When he was looking into her eyes, it was like he was drowning in big brown pools of chocolate. Rosco felt himself slip whenever he was with her. His steel will always cut through the emotions of everything and got to the point. It was why he could be so good at his job. But in the last couple of days, Rosco felt his steel will buckle from under him.

As the day wore on, Rosco realized that Jaime had still not come in from the garden. When he changed out of his jeans and t-shirt, he glanced out from his bedroom window. He never realized that it overlooked the garden. Rosco never had time to look out a window.

He could see a small figure lying in the grass. Rosco's heart seemed to beat a little faster.

__

What was happening to him?

Rosco sat down for a moment on the window's ledge. He gave himself a reality check. He only wanted Jaime because she was his meal ticket to Lee, whether for revenge or a way into the family money. Rosco had checked out Jaime's financial situation and found out a trust fund would be issued to her on her 25 birthday. She was now 23. _Two years_, Rosco thought to himself, _he could live with a beautiful woman like that for two years._

~~

It was getting dark so Rosco called Dale to retrieve Jaime from the garden. He didn't think she'd resist as much as she did in the beginning. Stage one of his plan had been completed. Jaime was having second thoughts about what kind of person Rosco Dule was. Now stage two needed to be implemented.

Rosco walked down into the living room, which just happened to be adjoined to the foyer. He left the sliding doors open. Jaime would be able to see him there. Rosco grabbed a vase and sat down on the couch. He had set the scene and hopefully Jaime would be maternal enough to care what was wrong.

He heard the murmur of voices in the hallway and then the foyer. "What do you mean it's a talent? Pushing people around is a talent?"

"Damn it!" Rosco threw the vase. 

Rosco heard the commotion in the foyer stop. He heard footsteps, which entered the room. "Boss? Are you all right?"

__

Get lost you idiot!

Rosco gritted his teeth to keep from biting his head off. "Get lost."

"What's wrong?" Jaime asked.

__

Good. She cares.

"Nothing. Dale take her to her room. I'll let you know when supper is ready," he commanded. 

"I don't think so Dale!" she exclaimed. Jaime walked into the room and plopped down beside Rosco on the couch. "Dale, leave and close the doors behind you."

Dale looked over to Rosco to see if he agreed. Rosco nodded his head. After Dale left, Rosco got up and went over to the large window, which looked over the estate.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing. I told you. You know you're very nosy."

Jaime sat up indignant. "I am not! I'm just inquisitive."

Their eyes met and then there was a burst of laughter. He couldn't believe he laughed at a time like this.

"Seriously, what's the matter?" she asked again.

"Look," he said, taking a deep breath. "You know that you're being held hostage right?" Rosco had to immerse himself in the lies or he wouldn't be able to make her believe him.

"Yeah." She nodded her head.

"Well, they want to take you to a different place. They want you to leave." Rosco waited for that to sink in.

"You mean, they're going to let me go?" Jaime looked up hopefully.

"No. He wants you in different hands." Rosco fidgeted with his hands, hoping she'd believe that it was worry or concern.

"Who's the 'he' you're talking about?" she pushed, getting up from the couch and walking over to him.

His heart beat faster as she approached him. _He had to make this believable. Sell it Rosco!_

"I can't tell you. But let me just say that you don't want to know _him_."

She was right in front of him now. Her eyes bearing down on him. "Why not? I'm going to meet him anyway right?"

"Not if I can help it."

Now Jaime was staring at him, a couple inches away. "What do you mean, 'not if you can help it'?"

Her eyes seemed to bore a hole into him. "I don't want you to go," he stated matter-of-factly.

"What do you mean you don't want me to go? I'd be out of your hair…" her sentence trailed off.

Rosco found his hands cupping her face and pulling her in close. Her lips were inches away from his. "I don't want you out of my hair," he whispered.

Rosco watched her eyes close as he drew nearer, ready to kiss her. He stopped. 

__

I can't do it!

Rosco let his hands slip from her face. Jaime opened her eyes confused.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…done that," he apologized.

She seemed to gather what remained of her composure. "Sorry for what? You didn't do anything."

"But I was about to," he said truthfully.

Rosco stared out the window. He seemed to lose control whenever he was near her.

__

Maybe this wasn't the greatest plan?


	34. 34

****

Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True

Chapter Thirty Three

"Okay, first things first. We need to find out if Jaime's really at this villa." Jason continued to watch the road, as he talked to Elizabeth.

"Yeah. What do we do when we get there?"

"Well, I'm going to take a look around. You need to stay in the car," Jason informed her.

He could tell she was not pleased with the idea, but he also could see a fleeting glimpse of relief. 

"Jason, I can handle myself."

"Elizabeth, we're not going to argue about this. You're still shaken up after that explosion. You aren't coming. Besides, if you were scared before, you should be even more scared now. Rosco is not someone you want to be dealing with Elizabeth. He's dangerous. He's good at what he does and I don't want you to get hurt."

There was silence, for what seemed like a long period of time. "Fine. You're right. I mean, I just don't want you to get hurt Jason. If I could get hurt, couldn't you?"

Jason looked over at Elizabeth. She was on the verge of tears. Jason knew that the shock of the explosion and the unfortunate run-in with Mr. Nam was wearing off. "Elizabeth, I'll be fine. I'm just going to take a look around and find out how many guards there are. Besides, I need you to be the driver, just in case we have to make a quick get away. Hopefully we won't have to and I can look around unnoticed."

She nodded.

~~

It was dark by the time they got to the villa Manisso had described. Jason shut off the headlights and coasted in the dark behind some trees. "Elizabeth I might be a while, so, don't panic if I don't get back for a while. I should be 20 minutes tops, from here and back."

Elizabeth seemed to nod absentmindedly. "Yeah, okay Jason."

Jason quietly stole out of the cover of the trees and headed towards the gate. He was sure there were probably cameras and he made sure to be aware of any possible "eyes".

Jason felt his way along the brick wall that enclosed the villa. He found a tree near by the wall and made his way up the darkened limbs. How he wished he'd been a little more prepared and maybe brought a rope. Jason finally made his way up high enough to see over the wall. The house was lit up, there seemed to be several armed guards making their rounds across the grounds.

He never thought Rosco had so many men. _Where did he get them?_

"Hey you!" a booming voice called from the bottom of the tree.

Jason sat very still. He prayed that the man didn't have a flashlight. Jason was blinded by a ray of light. _Darn it!_

Jason's mind raced as he tried to form any semblance of escape plan. There was only one of him, so he could take him, but Jason knew that it would have to be quick, before any other guards were alerted.

Jason slowly climbed down the tree. He hopped off the large tree trunk and quickly sprung on the guard. Unfortunately, he seemed well trained and prepared. Jason swung a quick hook, but the man countered and socked him in the stomach. _Oof!_

The man reached for his radio, and he had opened the radio frequency, but Jason jumped on him. They rolled around on the ground for a few minutes and Jason sat on top of him. Jason threw a right jab, which was blocked and the man found enough leverage on Jason to toss him overhead.

Jason was a little bit dazed. He couldn't understand it. _Rosco's men have never been this well trained._

He was a bit winded and in that short span of time, the guard was on him again. The radio crackled and a man's voice rang out over the CB. "SD? Hey, is everything all right? Are you out there? Answer me?"

Jason finally found his bearings and threw a surprise jab, which finally connected with his face. The man seemed to grunt and then pass out.

Jason had just begun to make a run for the car when two armed guards came running in as back up. He put his hands up in surrender.

***

"Where are you Jason?" Elizabeth whispered as she bit her thumbnail anxiously. "You've got another 10 minutes, before I come get you!" She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head against them.

She had to be strong. Jason's life depended on it. _Not too soon, or I could screw everything up._ Elizabeth sighed loudly. _Come on Jason. Don't make me come after you! I don't have a clue what I'm doing!_

***

Jason was led up the long driveway to the house. His wits were sharp and he took mental notes of escape routes. The guards jabbed their pistols into his side, silently warning him to be co-operative.

As Jason was led into what seemed like a study, he could hear many voices laughing in merriment. This disturbed him. _There's something wrong here. It sounds like a party or something! _ He heard the doors close behind him.

Jason looked around the study. There were pictures of a family placed on several different shelves of the room. 

"Ahem!" a man's voice cleared his voice.

Jason instinctively went for his holster, but was reminded that the guards relieved him of his weapon.

"Excuse me," the dark haired man began. He had bushy eyebrows and a black beard, peppered with grey hairs. His temples also were distinguished with grey streaks. "Who are you?"

Jason remained silent. He studied the man. _Where was Rosco?_

It was obvious the man was oblivious to who Jason was and what reason he could be here. Jason was about to speak when a knock on the door interrupted him.

The older gentleman held up his hand to signal Jason to wait. He opened the door and allowed a squirming woman into the room. Jason's eyes closed. _Elizabeth!_

Jason didn't move a muscle. He didn't know what to make of the situation. 

__

This man obviously has nothing to do with the kidnapping, but where could Rosco be hiding? Jason continued deep in thought.

"Is this woman a friend of yours?" the older man asked in a heavy Italian accent.

Jason was about to dispute that question, when Elizabeth began to talk.

"Yes! He's my boyfriend!" she exclaimed. She relieved her arm of the guard's grasp. Elizabeth walked over to Jason and grasped his hand. "We got lost on this country road of yours and stopped to get directions."

The older man eyed both Elizabeth and Jason. He was making a decision about whether he could trust him. Jason could read from his face that he was still quite wary of his newfound guests. "And why did your boyfriend attack my guards then?"

Elizabeth looked incredulously at Jason. "I have no idea!" she exclaimed, acting shocked. "Jason, why did you attack this nice gentleman's guards? I told you that your temper would get the best of you. Why didn't you listen to me?" she chided.

Jason frowned. "I'm sorry," he apologized confused. Jason was amazed at how well Elizabeth thought on her feet. "Honey," he smiled, realizing he would have to do his part. "I told you that this wouldn't be the greatest place to ask for directions."

Elizabeth hit him playfully and turned to the older man. "I'm sorry, Mr…"

"Perelli. My name is Andre Perelli. And who might you be?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm Elizabeth and this is my boyfriend Jason. I am _truly_ sorry for interrupting your party?" she motioned to the tuxedo he was wearing.

Jason really hadn't noticed the tuxedo as he was confronted with the older gentleman. _Elizabeth's better with details. _ He smiled as he watched her work the room.

"Yes. I _am_ having a party," he answered.

"It is quite funny though, Mr. Perelli, is it?" she inquired, moving towards the old man. The guard made a move to restrain her, but Mr. Perelli waved him out of the room.

"What is signorina?" he asked.

"Well, I have a friend named Manisso, and he was telling me of a friend of his. A Mr. Perelli? Could it be a coincidence that you are that same man?" she smiled charmingly.

"Why, yes. I do know a Manisso. I do not know if he is the same man."

"Well, he's about 5'6, dark hair, has a beard? He often frequents a certain nightclub."

Mr. Perelli's face lit up. "Yes. Yes! What a coincidence? That is my friend!" he exclaimed.

Elizabeth looked over at Jason and motioned for him to help out. "Mr. Perelli, I am sorry that I hurt any of your men."

Mr. Perelli nodded. "Yes, yes. I accept your apology." He turned his attention back to Elizabeth and smiled. "Are you sure you are with this gruff, American boy? Surely a lovely girl like you could do better?" 

Elizabeth blushed. "Oh, you've just got a bad first impression of Jason. He really isn't all that bad!" she laughed.

Jason smiled at Elizabeth. He was worried about _her_, but she was the one saving his butt. "I am one lucky guy to have a girl like her."

Mr. Perelli nodded. Suddenly he waved his hands in the air, "Oh, all is forgotten. I have a party to attend and it's silly to hold grudges…especially against beautiful women like you!" he smiled and kissed her hand.

"Oh, thank you Mr. Perelli."

"Now, my guards will give you directions on how to get back to autobahn," he dismissed.

"Oh, wait! Mr. Perelli," Elizabeth called.

"Yes?" he replied, turning around from his original path back to the party.

"I thought Manisso said that some men kicked you out of your house and you were staying in an apartment of his?" she asked.

He seemed to grow weary again and then in a flash, Mr. Perelli was all smiles again. "Yes. Si si!" he slipped back into his native Italian for a moment.

"Well, whatever happened to this man? I think his name was Rosco?" she asked.

"Rosco, si si. The man left with his men after the first night. My keeper Paolo informed me the day after he left. He wanted another location for his _activities,_" he replied, seemingly to spit out the last word like it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Oh, " she replied, looking back at Jason.

"Mr. Perelli, you don't happen to know where that is, do you?" Jason asked.

He turned his gaze towards Jason. The man began to wring his hands. "No. I am sorry. I do not know such information." He seemed to glance between the two visitors. "I am sorry. I must be going back to my party. Johnny here will show you the way back to the autobahn."

With that he left the room filled with unanswered questions. Jason heaved a sigh of frustration. "Elizabeth…" he nudged her forward, out the door.

Johnny gave them the 'directions' that they needed and they were on their way.

***

"I can't believe we came here all for nothing!" Elizabeth exclaimed. 

The adrenaline was still rushing through her veins. _She _had saved Jason! Elizabeth chuckled to herself.

"It wasn't all for nothing. I think we need to have a talk with Paolo, his keeper. But we won't be going to his house to do it."

Elizabeth looked at the smiling Jason as he pulled out of the cover of trees and on their way back to the apartment. "What are you smiling about?" she pouted.

"Nothing!" Jason stifled a laugh. "I just didn't know you were such a charmer with older men."

She felt herself open her mouth in false disbelief. "You take that back!" Elizabeth hit him playfully.

"Okay!" he laughed.

~~

"Jason," she said, flinging her coat on the chair that sat in the corner of her bedroom. "What are we going to do?"

Jason walked across the hallway and leaned against the doorframe. "I'll find out from my contacts who Paolo is, and we'll question him."

Elizabeth sat on the edge of her bed. She felt like her body was weighing her down "Jason, about today. Mr. Nam, he's in the same business as Sonny right?"

Jason seemed to hesitate in answering. "Yes." 

Elizabeth hadn't quite figured out why Jaime hated her father, now she knew. The thought of the explosion made her numb. _Manisso, he really hadn't been such a horrible man. Why did he have to die?_ Elizabeth shivered at the thought.

"Elizabeth…" Jason called quietly. "Are you going to be okay?"

Elizabeth's thoughts swirled around in her head. "Huh?" she asked, realizing Jason was talking to her. "Oh, uh, yeah. I'll be fine. I'm just tired." Elizabeth waved her hand dismissively.

"Are you sure?" Jason asked coming into her room.

"Yeah. I just need to get some sleep."

Jason nodded. Elizabeth watched him slowly take her hand in his and pull her into an embrace. Her whole body melted into his as she wrapped her arms around his waist. Jason smelled so good. It was like bark, a musky cologne, and the wind. Sometimes she felt like never leaving his arms, but she knew that it would never work, or so she had always told herself. Elizabeth took a deep breath and gave him a quick squeeze before pulling away from the warmth of his arms.

"Thanks. You always know what I need, ya know?" she laughed as she punched him in the arm.

"I'm…I'm always there for you Elizabeth," he replied quietly. "You know that right?"

"Yeah. I know." Elizabeth nodded her head as she looked into those soft blue eyes, which had been sharp and alert an hour ago.

With that, Elizabeth felt Jason's warm breath on the top of her head as he softly planted a kiss there. "Good night Elizabeth," he spoke softly.

And Elizabeth felt her body softly land on the mattress as she watched him walk to his room and close the door, as she sat on her bed. "Good night," she whispered.


	35. 35

****

Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True

Chapter Thirty Four

Elizabeth woke up refreshed and invigorated. The rays of the morning sun danced on her bed and along the door. She realized that there was a soft jingle of chimes that rang through out the room. Elizabeth looked towards the bare window that overlooked an empty long alleyway. A string of clear crystals hung on the window.

__

Those weren't there before, were they?

Elizabeth wrapped her robe around her and entered the bathroom where she showered and got dressed. The chimes were still on her mind as she shuffled into the kitchen. Elizabeth grabbed the loaf of bread, which sat in the breadbox and dropped two slices into the toaster.

She felt a slight chill up her back as she waited for her breakfast to pop up. Peeking around the corner, into the living room she called for Jason. Silence.

"He must have gotten up pretty early this morning. She looked up at the clock, which hung against the dining room wall. _11 a.m._ "Woah! I didn't know I slept in that late!" she said outloud.

__

Pop! Elizabeth shuffled back into the kitchen and pulled her slices of toast onto a plate and buttered them. The butter here was so amazing. It was _real_ butter. Not margarine, not the fake hydrogenated lumps of fat, but real butter. Usually freshly made, too.

Elizabeth sat herself down at the dining room table and picked up the paper that Jason had apparently been reading. It had been neatly stacked after its reading, but Elizabeth could tell by the fullness of the paper, that it had been flipped through.

It was the _New York Times_. Elizabeth tucked her legs under her and leaned against the tabletop on her elbows. She slowly took a bite out of the toast as she began reading an article on the front page of the Lifestyle's section. "The New Cassadine Heir Apparent". 

__

'Nikolas Cassadine, heir of the Cassadine fortune, whisked former Face of Deception model, Gia Campbell to Milan, Italy. They spent two nights there where they spent a minute sum of the Cassadine fortune on updating the newest addition to the family. Sources say that they are now in Venice and are hitting the local nightclubs. It is not known when the impending nuptials are.'

"Nik and Gia are here in Venice?" Elizabeth whispered to herself. She scanned the rest of the article for information about where they might be staying in Venice. Unfortunately there was no more on the two friends and she began putting away the paper.

"Elizabeth," Jason said breathily. "I didn't know you'd be up already?"

Elizabeth watched Jason close the apartment door behind him and pull off his coat. "Jason!" she exclaimed. "Where have you been? Of course I'm up! I mean, it's already 11:30!"

She walked a couple of feet to put her breakfast plate in the sink. Elizabeth waited for an answer as she walked into the living room.

"Well?" she asked tapping her foot and resting her hands on her hips.

Elizabeth stared at Jason who had sat down on the couch.

"I went to talk to Paolo."

"What?" she wailed. "Why didn't you wake me up? I would have gone with you!"

Jason turned his head aside, sighing. "Elizabeth, you know I cannot take you everywhere I go!"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Come on Jason. You know it wouldn't have been dangerous for me to question Paolo with you."

"Well, I'm sorry. You needed your rest."

"Jason," she sighed heavily. "I'm not a china doll! I can handle myself. You saw how well I did with Mr. Perelli!"

"Yes. You did great," he smiled. Suddenly his face turned serious. "But you are not equipped to handle certain situations. I mean, if a guy were to point a gun at you, you'd be at a loss."

"Well then teach me!" she exclaimed. "I'm not being left out on finding Jaime. Jason, you know I'm going to look for her in my own way if you don't let me go with you."

Jason closed his eyes. Elizabeth prayed he would see reason. _Jaime was one of her best friends these days. Since Emily had gotten shot and moved out of Port Charles, she'd really had no one to talk to. Gia had tried to be her friend, but Elizabeth knew she could never fully trust her._

"Fine," Jason sighed.

"Fine?" Elizabeth asked hopefully. 

"Yes, fine!" he stated, looking at her in the eye.

"Good. Let's go find Jaime!" she jumped.

"No," Jason stated firmly.

"No?" she asked quizzically. "But you just said fine?" Elizabeth was confused.

"I meant, 'Fine I'll teach you some self-defense', fine," Jason explained.

"Oh."

"You're gonna learn some things before I take you anywhere again. I mean, when I saw you…when I saw you in the guard's hands, I regretted bringing you along at all," he explained. "I can't risk you getting hurt Elizabeth."

She was at a loss for words. "Fine. But how long is this going to take? I mean, we have to find her soon!"

Jason got up from the couch and began to push it against the wall behind it. He then pushed the two individual chairs adjacent to the couch against the wall too, leaving an open area in front of the fireplace. "I've got some guys working on the details of hideout. We've got a little time. I'm just gonna teach you a couple of moves that will allow you to escape, okay?"

"You mean, I can't just punch my way out? Like at the bridge?" she teased.

"I think we're going to have to be a little more strategic than that!" he laughed.

***

Jason positioned himself in front of Elizabeth. He knew that this had to happen. Jason thought about a quick list of moves he'd like to teach her. "First, if a guy happens to come after you," Jason motioned for Elizabeth to slowly come at him, "a simple move like taking his hand and pressing on a pressure point…"

With Elizabeth's hand in his, Jason pressed her hand inward towards her and behind her back and upwards. "Like this," Jason explained.

"Ow! Okay, let me try," Elizabeth giggled.

Jason slowly came at her with his arms outstretched. Elizabeth grabbed his left arm and with her thumb pressed his hand inward, towards him and pulled it back behind him and twisted up. Jason fell on his knees. "Like that?" Elizabeth asked, peering around his shoulders.

"Yup," he gasped. Jason let a breath out as Elizabeth released his arm. "Okay, let's try that one more time, and just a little faster."

Hours past as they practised each move, until it came in one fluid motion. Jason taught her the hip toss, the shoulder toss, a palm thrust into the face, he taught her in different scenarios the best defensive and offensive moves.

"Okay, Jason. Do you think I got it all? How am I doing?" she laughed breathily, rubbing her hands together and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"You're doing great," he huffed, tired from all the physical strain. He ran to the hall closet and grabbed a towel for Elizabeth and himself. "Here!" he called, tossing a towel at her.

"Good," she smiled. "Jason, shouldn't your contacts have called by now?" Elizabeth wiped her brow and her neck, kneeling on one knee.

"They said that it would probably take them till tomorrow. They can't be too obvious about looking into these things. I don't want to tip Rosco off about this, and Mr. Nam, either," Jason explained.

Jason sat down on the floor wrapping his towel around his neck. "I think we can _almost_ call it a night."

"_Almost?_" Elizabeth cried, falling back onto the floor, tossing the towel on her face.

"Yes, almost!" he laughed. "I just want to teach you one more move. It should be easy. It was no harder than learning the hip toss."

Jason got up and pulled the towel off her face. Elizabeth slowly sat up and waved her hands in front of her. "Nooo more! I'm tired," she pouted.

As he grabbed both of her flailing hands, Jason laughed. "Come on," he coaxed. "If you don't, then _I_ don't have to take you along on anymore trips. _And,_" he paused for effect, "you can't complain."

Elizabeth reluctantly stood up and waited for instruction. "Okay," she sighed. "What next?"

"Okay. Now what you're going to learn is how to take a guy to the ground when he's standing really close to you and facing you."

"But, isn't that what those different arm twists are for?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yeah, but it's always good to have a back up plan if he is faster than you and is able to grab your wrists."

Elizabeth nodded. Jason moved towards her and grabbed the front of her t-shirt. He was just to the side of her when he moved his whole leg beside her and kicked her foot forward so that she lost her balance and fell backwards. Jason held her shirt tightly so that she would land softly to the ground. "Like so," he motioned for Elizabeth to get up.

Tired and weary, Elizabeth grabbed his shirt and moved to kick his leg out from under him, but didn't have enough force and Jason just a little bit of balance and toppled sideways. He stood back up and shook his head. "You have to push as you kick from underneath them." 

Jason showed Elizabeth, pushing her upper body forward as he kicked her leg from under her. Again she began to fall backwards, but her arms were quick to respond and she grasped his arms. As she steadied herself and adjusted the neckline of her t-shirt, Jason rolled his shoulders back in an attempt to loosen up a bit.

It was hard for him to allow Elizabeth to take him down. Every instinct in him told him to fight back, to counter her moves. "I'm ready," Elizabeth quipped.

"Okay, try it again. Push the upper body back, while you kick their legs forward."

Elizabeth moved towards him slowly and she tried the move with a little more force. _It went better_, Jason thought to himself as he fell to the floor a little awkwardly. "Let's try it again," he stated, popping back up.

They kept at it for about a half an hour before Elizabeth seemed to really gain confidence in the moves and herself.

"Oof!" Jason huffed. He was winded by that attempted. He sat up and took a moment to catch his breath. "That was a good one, Elizabeth."

He looked on her tired face and was pleased to see a smile. "Good," she quipped.

"Hey, why don't we call it a night. Are you hungry?" he asked.

Elizabeth's eyes went wide, "Are you kidding me? I'm starving!" she exclaimed.

Jason grabbed his towel from off the floor and wrapped it around his sweaty neck. "Well, why don't we shower and I'll take you out tonight? Or do you think you're too tired to go out?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, I'm not too tired to go out and eat. Especially when I don't have to eat another bowl of soup!" she laughed.

Jason motioned for her to head to the shower. "You go first. I'll wait. Besides, it'll take you longer to get ready anyway!" he teased.

"Oh! Really?" she glowered, punching him in the arm.

"Yeah, really," he laughed watching her head to the bathroom.


	36. 36

****

Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True

Chapter Thirty Six

"Are you ready yet?" Jason called from the living room.

Even as Jason finished showering and dressed in a pair of jeans and a button-up shirt, he could see Elizabeth still fussing over what to wear.

"I'm coming!" Elizabeth called.

Jason looked at his watch. The restaurant he had picked wasn't fancy, but it was nice and quiet. He always enjoyed going there for a good meal. Not that he went there that often.

Jason turned from the view outside the window and watched Elizabeth enter the room. Her hair was swept up into a mound of curls. Her bluish grey eyes twinkled as she twirled around with her arms in the air. "What do you think?"

Jason looked at her, "Think about what?"

Elizabeth looked at him in disbelief, "What do you think of the dress?"

Jason looked at the turquoise blue sundress. It was a simple dress with thin straps and it's hemline came an inch or two above her knee. "It's nice. You look nice," he smiled.

"Jason," she grimaced. "Do you really think I look nice?"

"Yes," he stated, laughing. "You know that I always think you look fine in…well, anything."

Elizabeth sighed. "I know." 

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Yup," she nodded. "Oh, just let me go grab a sweater."

"Why do you think it'll get a little drafty on the bike?" Jason teased as he escorted her out the door.

***

"Jason, this is…well, this is amazing!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

As Jason guided her into the restaurant, the soft quiet melody of a violin drew them into the small but spacious restaurant. It wasn't an exclusive and fancy restaurant; not that Elizabeth had expected Jason to take her to one. _It was inviting and, well, cosy, _Elizabeth thought.

"I'm glad you like it," he smiled.

The host greeted them and brought them to a corner booth upstairs near a window overlooking the ocean view. Elizabeth had noticed a small area of wooden floor as they ascended the steps of the staircase. Copper railings enclosed it. Lights trimmed the railings and surrounded the dance floor with a dim glow. Elizabeth slid into the dimly lit booth. It had a burning candle sitting in a wine bottle. It was quite the European thing to do and a small lamp on the side wall.

"How did you find it?" 

"Oh, I was walking down the ocean wharf when I noticed the restaurant that sat up top of the embankment. I wandered in after it was getting dark. Andre, the owner made this big fuss over my not wearing a suit and I agreed never to come here again."

"What?" Elizabeth asked. "Then how did you get in again, let alone tonight?

"I would come in every night until finally he let me sit," he laughed. "Not me huh?"

Elizabeth sat shocked. Jason would never usually go where he wasn't wanted. She shook her head in agreement.

"I was a little on the rebellious side when I got here, is all I can say."

Elizabeth nodded and realized what he had meant. He'd found this place when he'd left Port Charles for the last time.

"He realized that I just wanted to sit and have a meal and look at the view. I don't know…he just, he seemed to finally understand that I wasn't this biker guy looking to bring down his business. I agreed to dress up a little more than I usually do," he motioned to the button shirt, "but he didn't make me wear a suit."

"Wow. That's some story. Did you just make that up?" she asked.

"I don't make things up, remember?" His eyes twinkled amidst the candlelight.

~~~

As the night went on and they watched the sun set, Elizabeth couldn't help but relax under the soothing atmosphere of the restaurant. The waiter brought their food, which Elizabeth thought was amazing. Jason ordered for them and even though it was a name she probably would never remember, Elizabeth knew she would remember the way Jason said it.

__

Italian suited him -- the language, the culture. He just seems so relaxed here, Elizabeth thought_._

They both seemed content to just sit there and listen to the violinist play his music from table to table.

"You know, I've never seen a real violinist play from table to table," she giggled. "It seems so Italian!"

Jason smiled at her and she watched him call the waiter over to him. He whispered something in his ear and the waiter walked away.

"What did you say to the waiter?" Elizabeth had this unsettling feeling that it had to do with the violinist.

Jason didn't answer Elizabeth and smiled a crooked smile.

"You didn't?" Elizabeth squealed quietly.

The violinist's music seemed to grow louder and closer. "Yup. I did," Jason laughed as he turned his head to the side.

Elizabeth followed Jason's gaze and found the violinist standing in front of the table. She blinked a couple of times. "Jason!" Elizabeth giggled, hitting his hand in disbelief.

The music began quietly and slowly. It seemed to weave a spell around her. The music's crescendos and decrescendos flowed over her in waves. Impulsively Elizabeth asked Jason to dance.

"Dance? You know I'm not a great dancer." He paused. "Do you remember last time?" Jason asked. He seemed to regret the question as it left his mouth.

"Yes, but this time it's just you and me. No ghost between us."

Jason stared at her. It was as if his gaze seemed to envelop her. She held out her hand. Elizabeth held her breath as she waited for his hand to lead her to the dance floor. She pleaded with him in her eyes.

Jason took her by the hand and led her to the open area she had noticed on her way to the table. Elizabeth closed her eyes as his hands hesitantly encircled her waist. The music followed them and the air seemed to crackle with energy.

Elizabeth allowed the warmth of Jason's body to comfort her. The world seemed to disappear in the strength of his arms. The aroma of the Italian food, which wafted throughout the restaurant and Jason's newly washed shirt, intermingled into a seemingly comforting scent. Her body shivered as she felt his body draw nearer and his chin rest on the top of her head.

"Jason," she whispered, not wanting to break the spell. "Thanks for everything."

"What's everything?"

She paused before replying. There were so many things. "For being a friend." He pulled away so that he could look into her eyes.

"I'll always be your friend. There when you need me."

"I know," she sighed. "I mean, for understanding all of this. You take me for who I am at this moment. Not for who I was before, or who others say I am."

Elizabeth didn't know if she even made any sense. She put her hands on his chest to pull away, but his hands around her waist became firmer and more resolute. "Elizabeth," he paused. "I will always hear what you tell me. You are a wonderful person when you let yourself be…well, yourself. I think you're the first person I've become this close to, since Robin. And in some ways, even _that_ isn't a fair comparison."

The words seem to hang in the air before Elizabeth. She knew when she had first seen Jason in that courtyard; things would change in her life. But whatever Jason brought into her life, she knew that it wasn't the chaos everyone assumed that came with Jason and Sonny's lifestyle. Elizabeth knew that instead of chaos he would bring some sense, some stability. She had always known, from the moment she first took her on his bike – to nowhere.

***

"You know," Elizabeth paused. "You keep saying things like that and I might get a swelled head!"

Jason studied her eyes as they flittered from one place to the next, unwilling to meet his gaze. Elizabeth bit her lip as she laughed as she teased him. 

He had made her uncomfortable. Sometimes Jason didn't know what was the right thing to say or not. It had been a while since he even cared enough to even filter the things he said making sure it wouldn't offend anyone. He had always been blunt, or if he couldn't be blunt because it might just hurt someone he loved, Jason would remain quiet.

"Jason?"

Her voice called to him out of the depth of his thoughts. "Hmmm?"

"Jason, I'm sorry…"

Jason lightly brushed his thumb over her moving lips. "Didn't I tell you before," he whispered, lowering his head to hers. "I don't want you sorry…"

His eyes were fixed on hers. Jason's heart skipped a beat as she closed her eyes and wetted her lips. "Elizabeth," he whispered.

Her eyes opened once more and she seemed more vulnerable in that moment than he'd ever seen her in his life. "Yeah," she sighed breathily.

"Maybe we should…" he hated to say the words, but Jason had to be sure that this was what she wanted. "Maybe we should go." The words tasted bitter in his mouth.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip. "Yeah, you're right," she half-heartedly smiled. "Yeah, I was getting…tired anyway."

~~~

Jason was glad that he had the amount of self-control over himself to hold Elizabeth at arm's length. Jason hated that he knew he couldn't let himself get hurt like that again.

As they got off his motorcycle, Donnie had sent it to Venice at Jason's request; Jason felt a disappointment that he'd never felt before. He understood in his head what he had to do, but Jason knew that his heart had wanted him to take a leap of faith. But he couldn't do it.

"Ahh," Elizabeth sighed happily. "Jason thanks for the ride. Thanks for dinner and the dance too!" she smiled, tucking away the helmet and trying to fix her flattened curls.

"I had a good time too."

Jason adjusted his leather gloves, interweaving his fingers so that they would fit snuggly.

"Aren't you coming back up?" Elizabeth motioned with her hand up to the apartment.

"Um, I actually have to take care of some business for Sonny that's come up. I was going to do it this afternoon, but we got caught up in that self-defense class," he joked.

"Uh, yeah," she laughed distractedly.

"Don't wait up for me, it might take me till morning."

Jason lifted the kickstand of his bike and revved the engine.

"You will be back though, right?" Elizabeth asked uneasily.

"Yeah. Of course. I just have to run a couple errands for Sonny."

Elizabeth nodded her head slowly. She didn't seem to believe him. Jason couldn't blame her. After what almost happened tonight, he almost wondered if he was running away.

"Okay," she said reluctantly. "Good night Jason."

Elizabeth walked over to him and kissed his cheek. Her lips lingered on his skin, which warmed from her touch.

"Good night," he replied softly.

He began to ride away on his motorcycle after Elizabeth stepped safely aside. Jason watched her lonely figure gazing after him in his side view mirrors.

__

He wasn't running away. He wasn't.


	37. 37

****

Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True

Chapter Thirty Seven

Elizabeth felt the darkness close in on her as she watched Jason ride away. "He's just running a few errands for Sonny. It's got nothing to do with you," she chided.

Her sandals clicked against the stone sidewalk, which led up to the apartment building. Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her, rubbing the sides of her arms for warmth.

~~~

As she pushed the key into the lock and turned it, Elizabeth waited to hear the click of release. The apartment looked so empty as she slipped out of her sandals and walked into the living room. The couch was still leaning against the wall, where Jason had pushed it, to make way for their defense session.

Elizabeth's fingers ran over the soft upholstery of the couch as she walked passed it around the corner and down towards her room. While she studied herself in the mirror that hung above her dresser drawer, Elizabeth began to softly hum to herself. Elizabeth had begun making mental notes to herself and was more aware of subconscious things that she did, after Jason told her she sang to herself when she painted and found that he wasn't lying to her.

__

He's never lied to you.

"True," she said to herself out loud. "He's never lied to me. Or at least, I haven't caught him lying to me."

Elizabeth shook her head. Before his last visit to PC, she'd never had a doubt in her mind that he always told her the truth. "He hates lies as much as Lucky hated them," she admitted.

__

Then why did you accuse him of being a liar?

"I never would have," she defended herself out loud against her thoughts. "If I hadn't seen him beating Lucky with my own eyes."

__

He explained that! Lucky attacked him!

Elizabeth closed her eyes and turned away from the accusing face in the mirror. "Stop!" she yelled. Her body sunk into the comfort of the bed behind her.

Elizabeth still didn't know whom to believe. '_When she was with Jason, like this!' _Elizabeth stopped to look around her room and her eyes caught on the crystal chime that hung on her window. '_When I see him like this, I can believe anything!_' she thought to herself.

__

But what about Lucky?

Oh, she didn't want to think about Lucky. Her emotions were so jumbled that she thought if one more emotion tugged at her heart and her mind she would shatter into a million pieces. _Torn, that's what she was._

Elizabeth shook her head and walked into the bathroom to wash the makeup off her face. She looked at herself in the medicine cabinet mirror. _'Why did she even get all dressed up like this?'_

"It was just Jason," she scoffed, putting the toothbrush into her mouth. "I mean, he doesn't care if I'm made up like a supermodel or have no makeup at all," she mumbled to herself with the toothbrush still in her mouth.

Elizabeth spit into the sink. She stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. "You should consider yourself lucky to have a friend like that. Who loves you for who you are!" she exclaimed, pointing at herself in the mirror with her toothbrush. She sighed. Elizabeth knew that she may think that way by herself, but as soon as anyone came around, Elizabeth would buckle under his or her opinions.

"That's what Jason was good for," she whispered. 

__

But it wasn't just that, right?

Elizabeth's mind wandered to the dance they'd had tonight. She closed her eyes and envisioned his body pressing against hers. "No, " she said huskily, "Definitely not all he's good at."

She bit her lip at the thought. Elizabeth definitely could see herself with him, in every way.

Elizabeth quickly washed up and changed into a pair of blue, plaid, flannel pj bottoms and a grey tank top and hopped into bed.

__

She definitely needed to stop thinking about it.

***

Jaime had been locked up in her room for a couple of days now. She didn't know quite what to make of it. Something was up though. Jaime had heard whisperings of Rosco leaving for a couple of days and that a change was happening.

She just prayed to God that Jason would find her before Jaime had to find out what that change was.

***

Nikolas tried to forget whom he swore he saw at the club three nights ago, but it wouldn't leave his mind. Finally he had to tell Gia. She could read him like a book.

Nikolas smiled as the image of his beautiful fiancé flashed before him.

His smile faded as his thoughts brought him back to Elizabeth. Elizabeth and _Jason._ He couldn't get the image out of his mind. Gia advised him to tell Lucky because she knew that he was a large part of his worries. He couldn't. Nikolas couldn't tell Lucky until he was sure.

The only problem was…_he was already sure._

***

"Jason?" Elizabeth called throughout the apartment. She had awaken to a startling dream that morning. Elizabeth shuffled down the hallway to the kitchen, her thoughts bringing her back to her dream.

__

Elizabeth had been walking through the dark when a light appeared and in that light was Jason. They had embraced and soon he was leading her on through the dark, which seemed to lessen now that she was with Jason.

Slowly the scene changed and Jason was soon leading her through a garden enclosed by walls of ivy. She heard a voice calling to them. It was Jaime. She was still lost and they were following the trail that would eventually lead them to her.

Elizabeth clasped the strong and steady hand, which lead her through the forest of leaves and plants. "Jason?" she called.

He turned around and looked at her and touched his lips to signal her silence. There came an opening during their strides through the garden and there lay Jaime in white. Her hair was dark ebony, darker than Elizabeth had remembered and her skin was an alabaster white. It should have made her look pale and sickly, but the paleness of her skin only brought out the colors of her surroundings.

"Jason," Elizabeth said excitedly.

He motioned her to stay behind and cautiously made his way to the pale and still girl. She was lying in vibrant green grass with daisies surrounding her. Elizabeth disregarded Jason's request and followed him anyway.

Jason was kneeling on the grass, cradling Jaime. "Jaime, wake up!" he whispered to her gently. Elizabeth watched as he caressed her face and brushed a strand of hair that was misplaced.

Elizabeth held her breath, as there was no movement in Jaime's body. "Is she dead? Are we too late?" Elizabeth cried.

"No!" Jason stated firmly. Elizabeth had never seen the intensity in Jason's face so apparent in that moment.

"Jason," a soft, almost faint childlike voice sighed.

"Jaime!" Jason smiled. He looked at Elizabeth and his face was a glow.

Her limp body began to fill with a light again, and Elizabeth could only watch as Jason picked up Jaime in his arms.

Suddenly the scene changed and Elizabeth was standing in front of a smiling Jason and a healthy looking Jaime. He was sitting in a chair in front of their apartment's fireplace and Jaime standing behind him. The colors in the dream were surreal, so vibrant so alive. It was like she was looking at a painting in motion. 

"Aren't you happy for us?" Jaime asked, cleaving to Jason's neck.

"Happy about what?" Elizabeth asked. Her voice did not seem like her own.

"About our engagement, silly! I have to thank you for helping Jason find me. He said you were indispensable!" she laughed.

Elizabeth felt her stomach lurch as she watched Jaime kiss Jason on the cheek and begin nibbling on his neck. Jason seemed to continue to stare at her, not responding to the kisses Jaime energetically placed upon him.

"Jason? Is this true?"

He continued to stare, no sound came from his mouth.

"Jason? Tell me? I thought you two were just friends?"

Finally he spoke. "Why does it matter?"

"Jason, you're my friend. I care about you! You can't marry someone you don't love. You wouldn't do that."

"How can you tell me that? Of all things, how can you tell me what I would or would not do." 

His voice was calm, but there was an anger that lay beneath it. "Jason, I know you better than anyone I've ever dreamt knowing."

"Then why didn't you believe me?" he pleaded.

"What?"

"Then why didn't you believe me?" he asked again.

"About what?"

"About Lucky."

Elizabeth's heart began to race. "I did. I did believe you," she stumbled.

Jason got up from his chair and turned his back to her, focusing his attention on a smiling Jaime. His head turned to look at Elizabeth. "No you didn't. I loved you. I offered you a life where you didn't have to pretend anymore."

Elizabeth was speechless. And finally when she knew what she wanted to say, the words wouldn't come out of her mouth. Her lips formed the sounds, but she could hear nothing.

"Elizabeth, you know I would have loved you forever," he stated. "But I'm with someone else now. I am in love with someone else now."

Elizabeth watched helplessly as Jason cupped Jaime's face and kissed her. She didn't know what to do. Elizabeth tried to move from where she was, but it was like she was frozen.

"Elizabeth," a familiar voice called her.

She turned around to find Lucky standing before her. "Lucky?" she whispered.

"Come back to me Elizabeth," he said huskily. "I don't remember loving you, but if you pretend for just awhile, I'm sure I will love you again."

Elizabeth shook her head. "Stop!" she cried. "Stop!" 

Elizabeth turned around and watched as Jason continued to kiss Jaime. "Jason!"

He stopped much to her relief. "Yes," he said breathily, cradling Jaime in the crook of his arm.

"Don't marry her!" Elizabeth pleaded. "You don't love her!"

"Elizabeth, you're a friend, and I love you for that," he said sweetly. "But you don't love me, right? You don't love me like you love Lucky, right?"

She nodded tearfully.

"I don't love Jaime like you love Lucky. I don't love with a duty and a loyalty. We don't have the passion you had, although I want it."

Elizabeth swallowed hard, hoping she had gotten through to him.

"But," he paused, looking at Jaime. "She's kind, and patient. She listens to me, and she is her own woman. You used to be that Elizabeth. I believed that you were strong enough to be that woman."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I am that woman. I am strong. I've looked hard for Jaime, as you have. I fought for love the only way I knew how with Lucky. I loved him."

Jason shook his head pitifully. "You may have 'loved' him in your own way, but Jaime showed me what true love is." Jason looked down adoringly at Jaime who seemed to gaze at Elizabeth in pity.

"Jason, please!" Elizabeth exclaimed, trying to reach out for him.

"Elizabeth," Lucky called. "Don't waste your time on a guy who's only going to get you killed!"

She turned to look at Lucky who reached out to her. Then Elizabeth's gaze fell upon Jason who was slowly kissing Jaime.

"No!" she cried, covering her ears and shutting her eyes. "Stop! Stop!"

"No! Stop!" Elizabeth had yelled, as she sat up in her bed.

__

'It was only a dream,' she said to herself as she showered and tried to awake herself from the nightmare.

Elizabeth sighed heavily as she waited for her Eggo waffle to pop up from the toaster. "It was just a dream," she reassured herself.

It shook her to think about how true some of the dream was. Elizabeth knew deep down, and now truly believed that Jason had been telling the truth from day one. _He had never lied to her._

Elizabeth allowed the admission to sink in. A part of her felt a peace and rest about trusting the deepest, innermost part of her that would not allow her to truly believe that Jason "just attacked" Lucky. 

She didn't blame Lucky either. Elizabeth knew that it had been Helena's programming and that he probably didn't remember any of it. She sighed.

__

How Helena had messed with their lives forever! Things would never be the same and Elizabeth had to accept that. Now her future lay open and unplanned. Nothing stood in her way.

And that was the most frightening thing in the world to her.


	38. 38

Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True

Chapter Thirty Eight 

Jason had been riding all night.  He finally found a quiet spot down by a pond where he could think.  Oh he hadn't been lying when he told Elizabeth that he had some errands for Sonny to do, but in part, the ride had been to think about what the night had meant.

It was dawn before Jason had realized that he'd been sitting at that pond the entire night.  Still, he didn't know what to do.  Parts of him hoped that as she was dancing with him, that Elizabeth had finally realized that it was like they had once said, "they were more than just friends".  But a part of him knew that it wasn't that easy.

It was never going to be that easy.

"Oh Elizabeth," Jason sighed as he got up and dusted the dirt and grass that clung to his jeans.

_How he wished he could just stop hoping._

***

The ring of the phone startled the pondering Elizabeth as she continued to stare out the apartment window for any sign of Jason.  "Hello?" she answered.

"Hello, Miss Webber I presume?" an Asian accent inquired.

"Yes, who is this?" she asked curiously.

"This is Mr. Nam.  I was wondering if Mr. Morgan is there?" Lee inquired.

"No, he's not here at the moment," she said shakily.  The image of the explosion still burned in her mind.

"Well, maybe you can help me then," he said politely.  He said it so sweetly she could almost feel the honey oozing out of the phone.

"Anything I can do," she replied sweetly.

"I was wondering how the search for my daughter is going?  It has been a couple of days since I last heard from you or Mr. Morgan.  Should you not have found her already?"

Elizabeth could feel the man tense on the other end of the phone.  Part of her almost felt sorry for the man.  "I'm sorry," she said a little more softly.  "We haven't gotten any leads."

Even she was getting antsy from this waiting.  Elizabeth apologized again and hung up the phone.

"Jason, where are you?" Elizabeth sighed as she went back to her post, staring out the window.

***

Jason took a deep breath before walking into the apartment.

"Jason!" Elizabeth exclaimed.  "Where were you?"

Jason sighed, "I told you, I had to run some errands for Sonny."

Elizabeth chewed her lip in an endearing way, which made Jason regret being so uptight with her.  "I'm sorry.  I should have phoned you this morning."

Elizabeth shook her head.  "No. No. Jason, I mean, you _did tell me what you were doing.  I shouldn't have pried.  It was just, Mr. Nam phoned and then I really got restless.  I was thinking you got a call and went to find Jaime without me."_

Jason shook his head.  I haven't heard anything yet and that's not a good sign.  The trail's getting colder by the second."

He ran his hand through his spiky dirty blonde hair.  "What did he want?  Mr Nam?"

"Oh," Elizabeth seemed to snap out of her thoughts. "Um, nothing, he just asked if we had found her yet."

Jason grimaced.  _They should have found her by now.  What is going on?_

Jason felt for his cell in his leather jacket.

"Who are you calling Jason?" Elizabeth asked curling up on the couch.

Jason put his index finger to his lips.  "Hello?  Hey Benny?  Yeah, you got anything yet?"

He paced the wide area in front of the fireplace.  He would have to move the couch back sometime.  "Yeah? No?  Well, just give me what you've got.  I've got a feeling that if we don't find her soon, we won't find her at all."

Elizabeth peered up at him with eyes wide and panicked.  "What do you mean, you don't think we'll find her at all?"

Jason reached for Elizabeth's hand.  "Don't worry.  We'll find her," he assured.

"Well, what's happening now?" 

"Well, we're going to head out to the Perelli's again.  I think that he knows more than he's letting on, or someone at that house does.  My contacts say that there have been unmarked cars coming and going from that house."

Elizabeth nodded.  "Okay, let's go!"

He nodded and waited for Elizabeth as she grabbed her coat.

***

"Hello?" Jaime knocked on the door of her now locked room.  "Is anyone out there?"

Jaime had been holed up in the room for two days now.  She had been receiving her meals in her room again, like before.  Her mind swirled with questions and in some way, a sense of relief.

Jaime didn't have to wonder or think about the awkward relationship, if she could even call it that, that had developed between her and the enigmatic Rosco.

There had been stirrings of movement from the downstairs foyer.  She heard whisperings, but never quite caught what they were saying.  It seemed like she was going to be move, or be moved.  Anyhow, she was going to be _leaving_ this place.

This thought frightened the already confused and unhappy Jaime.  She peered out of her window everyday praying that Jason would come.  Jaime was desperate enough to even hope her Father would come rescue her.

She'd lost count of the days she'd been held prisoner for.  Jaime wasn't made uncomfortable.  The guards weren't socializing with her as they once used to.  It brought a sense of relief though, in some ways.  She didn't want what happened with that _one_ guard to happen again.

Jaime let her head fall back and stared at the ceiling for a moment.  She closed her eyes and sighed helplessly.

_Come on guys…I need you to get me out of here!_


	39. 39

Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True

Chapter Thirty Nine 

Jason and Elizabeth had arrived at the Perelli's house in character this time.  Jason slipped his arm around Elizabeth's waste and knocked on the door.  The armed guards were gone this afternoon.  '_Apparently a precaution for the party that he was throwing,' Jason thought._

The door opened and Jason's body tensed.  He didn't quite know what to expect at their return.

"Yes," an older gentleman in tails and white gloves inquired, as he stood at the door.

"Hi!" Elizabeth chirped.  "This is Jason and I'm Elizabeth.  We were here a couple of nights ago?"

The butler didn't quite seem to know who they were.  "I'm sorry, what can I do for you?"

Elizabeth looked over at Jason.  His turn.  "Well, Elizabeth haphazardly left her bracelet in the study room that we were waiting in when we talked with Mr. Perelli," he explained.  "And she," he pointed to Elizaeth, " was wondering if we could look around the study for it?"

The man seemed very hesitant. "Wait a moment sir," he commanded and closed the door on them.

Elizabeth clung to his leather jacket.  "What if he won't let us in?" Elizabeth squealed.

Jason shook his head.  "He'll let us in."  Jason was about to say something else when the door opened once more, revealing the same older gentleman.

"Come in.  Mr. Perelli will see you in his study," he motioned them to come in.  "Right this way."  The man lead Jason and Elizabeth through the familiar foyer and down the corridor to the study.  "Just wait in here."

Elizabeth grip on Jason's hand loosened as the servant closed the door.  "Jason, what are we going to say?"

Jason looked around the study, he pulled out of his jacket pocket a thin silver bracelet and returned it to it's former place..  "Just stay calm, like you did the night before," Jason explained.  "We're to have to find a way to get a tour of the house.  He seemed to like you, so you might have to play up on that.  Do you think you can do that?"

Jason studied Elizabeth's face.  It was a like looking at a china doll's face, flawless and creamy white, accented by big beautiful grey eyes.  Her eyes, though seemed to be clouded by doubt. "I don't know Jason.  I have no clue.  You know I'm not good in these kinds of situations."

Jason smiled.  She didn't know how strong she could be, how determined.  "You'll do fine Elizabeth.  Just follow my lead."

He turned from Elizabeth to the soft creak of the study doors.  "Ah, Mr. Morgan wasn't it?" Mr. Perelli greeted them with a smile.

Jason watched the man's attention turn from him, to Elizabeth.  "And Miss Webber, correct?" Mr. Perelli smiled, lifting up her delicate alabaster hand to his lips.

"Ah, yes," Elizabeth giggled nervously, her eyes darting over to Jason.

Gently releasing Elizabeth's hand, Mr. Perelli walked over to his desk, which sat to the right of the couch.  "Well, what can I do for you?"

"Um, well, the other night I accidentally lost my silver bracelet," Elizabeth explained slowly, watching Jason for any trips in her story. "And I think the last place I remember having it was here.  I think maybe one of the guards broke the clasp and it fell off while I was being brought to you."

Mr. Perelli seemed quite uninterested in the fabricated story.  "Oh, I am sorry," he said rather distractedly.  His eyes were focused on a few sheets of paper, which he was shuffling around on his desk.  "I don't thinka you'll find it, even _if_ you were to looka for it.  We had a cleaning service come in just yesterday."

Jason felt the tension in Mr. Perelli's voice.  "Maybe we could just take a look?" he suggested.  "It was a gift from her late mother."

Jason put his arm around Elizabeth's shoulder to _comfort _her as she feigned pain at the mention of her deceased mother.  His gaze stayed upon the hesitant man, though.  He seemed to be hiding something, but Jason had no clue to what it might be.

Mr. Perelli took a deep breath after a moment of pondering the situation.  "All right," he huffed. "You may have a look.  But I do not have the time to escort you around the house in search of your bracelet."

"Well, I'm sure we can find our way around," Elizabeth pipped in.

Mr. Perelli looked suspiciously at the suggestion.

Elizabeth quickly seemed to realize her mistake and covered.  "I…I just thought that a busy man like you shouldn't have to waste his time showing American tourists around his house, when they were at fault in the first place," she smiled slyly at the older gentleman.

Mr. Perelli seemed to study her for a moment and then reward her explanation with a smile.  "It is all right," he dismissed.  "And do not blame youra self," his accent came through for a moment, "for getting lost.  It is sometimesa easy to getta lost!"

Jason nodded in agreement.

***

Elizabeth inwardly heaved a sigh of relief.  She did _not _want to be the reason they screwed up this info search.

"Andre!" a woman's cried.  "Andre!  Where are you?"

An older woman appeared through the study doors.  She was a petite woman.  Her silver hair pulled up in a soft French twist.  Her face was regal, yet kind.  She had dark brown eyes, which was brought out by her dark skin, tanned from the sun.  She wore an elegant and what seemed to Elizabeth, expensive black dress suit.  Her neck and fingers were adorned with large gold jewelry.

Elizabeth looked over at Andre.  He seemed startled and almost like a child, with his hand caught in the cookie jar.  "Bella!" he exclaimed, recovering quickly.  "I am here!"

He walked over to whom Elizabeth could only guess was his wife.  He planted a big wet kiss on both her cheeks.  She seemed to whisper something in his ear, which seemed to settle his embellished greeting.  "Bella," he paused, pointing to Elizabeth and Jason.  "This is Signor Morgan and Signorina Webber."

Elizabeth plastered a huge smile on her face and shook the curious woman's hand.  "Please, call me Elizabeth."

The woman quickly looked over Jason and smiled.  She put out her hand, "And your name, signor?" she smiled coyly.

Jason moved forward and shook her hand.  "Jason," he replied.

"Ah! Americans!" she exclaimed in apparent delight.  "What brings you here?"  She clasped her hands together and looked to Andre.  "Andre, why have you not offered our guests a drink."

She walked over to the mini-bar that sat behind the desk.  "Can I get you anything?"  She motioned to the array of crystal decanters filled with a variety of alcohol."

Elizabeth and Jason shook their heads.  "Actually, Miss…" Elizabeth didn't recall hearing her name.

"Oh, silly me," she laughed.  It was a lighthearted laugh, which made Elizabeth smile.  "My name is Isabella."

"Well, Isabella, if I may call you that, _we_," she motioned to herself and Jason, "were here the other night during the party.  We got lost on the roads and were brought into your beautiful house."

Isabella pulled out the desk chair and sat down.  Elizabeth couldn't quite help notice how comfortable Isabella seemed to be behind that desk.  "Go on," she urged.

"Well, during that time, I seemed to have lost my bracelet.  And it was given to me by my late mother and I feel wretched for asking, but your husband agreed to let us look for it."

Isabella seemed to subtly glare at her husband, who seemed to become unusually quiet.  "Well, first of all," she laughed, "I have to apologize for my husband for not inviting you to the party and introducing our unexpected guest.  He didn't even mention it to me."  Her words seemed to carry a sharpness to them.

"I'm sorry my love," Mr. Perelli apologized quickly.

She shook her head in dismissal.  "Well, was my husband going to escort you around our house? To look for your bracelet of course?" Isabella asked.

"We were just in the midst of deciding that, I think," Jason explained.

"Well," she replied, pondering for a moment.  

Suddenly Elizabeth saw a light in her eye, almost like a glint.  "We don't have the time, right now, to show you around the house," she said slowly.  "But, what _I can_ do is invite you back in two nights?"

Elizabeth held her breath at the thought of leaving here empty handed. "Yes?" Elizabeth replied.

"And you can join us for our dinner party?" Isabella asked.  Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she asked the question.

Elizabeth looked at Jason, who seemed to be taking the entire conversation in.  "Jason, what do you think?" she asked, somewhat baffled at what to do.

"Of course we'll come," Jason replied, nodding towards Elizabeth.

"Of course.  Um, may I ask if it's formal?" Elizabeth inquired.

"Yes.  And if you don't have a dress to wear, let me know. I'll send one of my people to fit you with something." 

Elizabeth happened to take a quick glance at Andre, and he seemed to be quite perturbed.

"Is that all right with you? Mr. Perelli?" Elizabeth inquired.

He seemed embarrassed that she was watching him. "No. No! I am sorry," he laughed.  "Sisi! You shall come to the party."

There was an unexplained tension in that room at that moment.  Elizabeth continued to think about it as the servant who had escorted them into the study, lead them to the main door.  Jason had given Isabella their address at her insistance.  She would send her dressmaker to their apartment tomorrow morning.  

Elizabeth had tried to refuse, but in the end gave in to the joyful older woman.  Part of Elizabeth didn't quite think it was a very good idea that they give them their address, but Jason knew what he was doing, and if he thought it was okay.

"Elizabeth, we'll be fine," Jason reassured her.

He seemed to be able to always read her mind.  "You don't think that it's a mistake to give them our address.  I mean, if you think that they had something to do with Jaime's kidnapping…"  Her voice trailed off.  Elizabeth didn't like to think about Jaime and what she was enduring at this moment.

"It'll be fine.  I don't think they are involved directly in the kidnapping.  I just think they know a little more about Rosco and his whereabouts than we first thought."

Elizabeth stared out into the landscape, which seemed to becoming more familiar with every trip.

_Please God, let us find Jaime._


	40. 40

Love Is Patient, Kind and Above All True

Chapter Forty 

Elizabeth paced frantically as Jason sat at the dining room table reading a newspaper.  "Jason, why did we say we would let Isabella send her seamstress over here and fit me for a dress?  I don't think we should go.  Maybe we should uh, decline.  Say we forgot we had other engagements?" she suggested, wringing her hands.

Jason looked up from his newspaper and smiled.  "It'll be fine.  It's just a dress."  Then continued with his reading.

"Yeah, but it's from a woman who's husband might know something about Jaime's kidnapping.  I mean, he probably does.  I mean, she seemed really calm about everything.  I mean, why would she invite complete strangers over for dinner?" Elizabeth rambled.

She hated feeling this way.  There was just something off about Isabella.  She couldn't put her finger on it.  Elizabeth hoped Mr. Perelli hadn't figured out what they were really after.  _She hoped she could get through this fitting without babbling everything to the seamstress._

Elizabeth peeked out the window and continued her pacing.  "How can you stay so calm?" she asked exasperated.

"Because it's just dinner.  These guys aren't 'dangerous' as far as I know," he stated, setting down the newspaper.  "Elizabeth, they just have some information we need to know."

"Then _why_ don't we just ask them if they aren't in cahoots with this 'Rosco'?" she suggested.

"Because, they might be under his thumb.  Rosco is a dangerous man, and they just might inform Rosco that we've been looking for Jaime."

"But then you could offer them protection and we wouldn't have a problem."

Jason shook his head.  "Elizabeth we can't.  I've studied their behavior and they're not the types to take us up on that.  They've got other things planned with Rosco."

Elizabeth ran her fingers through her curly locks.  "What do you mean?"

Jason leaned back on the chair.  "They probably have a deal of some sort with Rosco.  Not just protection.  I mean they were friends with Manisso, so I would think they are the entrepreneurial type."

"Jason," Elizabeth pouted.  "What do you think we'll get out of going to the dinner then?"

Jason got up and walked over to Elizabeth.  "My contacts say that they've seen a couple of suspicious looking guys going in and out of the house during their 'parties'.  So I think that it's a perfect opportunity to find out who these guys are and see if we can follow them back to Rosco's hideout."

Elizabeth walked over to the couch and sat down.  "I don't know Jason.  I mean, what if they're working for someone else..."  Her voice trailed off as the doorbell rang.

"That would be the seamstress," Jason queried as he walked to the door.  Elizabeth felt his hand reassure her as he walked by the couch.  "You'll be fine."

***

Jason waited in the living room as the woman, Anna, fitted Elizabeth with a dress that Isabella had selected.

He'd phoned Sonny during the wait, trying to see if Benny had any more information on Mr. Perelli and his wife.  "Yeah.  Sonny." 

"Jason, I want you to be careful around Rosco.  Word is he's gone a little soft and he knows it.  So just watch your back," Sonny warned."

Jason rubbed his neck.  "Don't worry about me.  How's everything over there?  I heard you've got a little situation with AJ again."

"Nah," Sonny replied.  "Nothing I can't handle from over here.  Hey, how's Elizabeth doing?  I heard about the explosion.  Is she all right?"

"Mmm, she's trying to be tough, but I know she's still kind of shaken up by it."  Jason closed his eyes and once more chided himself for allowing them to fall into that trap.  Even though it wasn't meant for them, Jason hated the fear he saw in Elizabeth's eyes as she ran for cover.

"I'm sure you can comfort her Jas," Sonny laughed half-heartedly.

"Sonny, it's not like that."

"Ah, Jas, don't worry about it.  Lucky's probably movin' on by now."

Jason rolled his eyes.  "It's not about Lucky and if he's moved on.  Elizabeth hasn't moved on.  And I won't make the same mistake twice," he whispered.

There was silence on the other end of the phone.  Finally he heard Sonny sigh.  "Yeah, I get it Jason.  But let me tell you, if you don't take a risk, you might end up hurting all over again."

Jason shook his head.  "Like you?  Have you given Carly a second chance?"

Again there was silence on the other end of the phone.  "Jason, you know that's different.  She betrayed me."

"Yeah, and I wasn't 'chosen'.  What's the difference?  At least you know Carly loves you."

"Jason, you know she does."

Jason swallowed.  He didn't need a lecture from Sonny right now.  "I gotta go Sonny.  Elizabeth should be done soon."

"Okay.  Hey Jas?" Sonny called.

"Yeah?"

"Just keep your mind open.  You don't always pick up on everything a girl's thinking, if you know what I mean."

Jason sighed.  "I gotta go Sonny.  Bye."  Jason hit the end button on his cell.

_What am I a glutton for punishment?_

Jason pressed the cell phone against his lips as he stared out the living room window.

"We're done Jason," Elizabeth chirped as she bounded down the hallway.

"I've got a feeling you've gotten over being worried about the seamstress and the dress?" Jason laughed as he watched Elizabeth's eyes twinkle.

"Yeah, don't remind me," she groaned.  "It wasn't as bad as I thought.  She was a really fast worker."  Elizabeth pointed to the seamstress who ambled down the hallway with her basket and a long garment bag.

"Thank you again signora," Elizabeth smiled.

The 40-ish woman smiled a tired smile.  "Just a my job," she said with an accent.  "It will be waiting for you at the house.  Signora Perelli said you will change there."

Elizabeth nodded and showed her out of the apartment.

"Did you like the dress?" Jason asked, watching the seamstress hop into a chauffeured car.

"Oh, Jason, you wouldn't believe it.  It's so beautiful," she gushed, twirling around the apartment.

"I still don't see why you couldn't have done it in the living room.  There's more room out here than in your room."

She shook her head.  "Apparently Isabella insisted that you not see the dress until the dinner."

Jason rolled his eyes.  "What difference is it going to make?  I'm going to see it anyway."

Elizabeth seemed to laugh at his logic.  "I think she wants me to make an entrance for you and her guests.  Apparently this is a big dinner.  Anna said that there were some other Americans coming.  Apparently royalty."

Jason took a deep breath.  "Great," he said, slipping his cell phone into his leather jacket.

"Did you phone someone?  I didn't hear the phone ring," Elizabeth asked.

"Yeah, I phoned Sonny.  Still no news on Jaime.  It's making me nervous.  Lee hasn't heard from Rosco either, which makes it all the more important we find her soon."

He glanced over at Elizabeth whose face seemed to darken at the mention of Jaime's name.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't want to make you worry."  

She shook her head.  "No," she argued.  "You didn't make me worry.  I do fine making myself worry."

"Sonny says hi," he offered.

Her face lit up at the mention of her unusual friend.  "How is he?"

"He's doing good.  AJ's up to his old tricks again, though."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and smirked.  "What's new?"

"Do you want to get something to eat at the market?  I don't think we really have anything in the fridge."

Elizabeth nodded.  "Sure.  Hey, Jason, do you have a tux?"

Jason looked at her oddly.  "Why?"

She laughed casually.  "Because you're gonna need one for the party."

_He hadn't thought of that.  He'd been more worried about how he would sneak away at the party._

Elizabeth grabbed his hand.  "Come on.  I got my dress.  Now we're going to get you you're tux."

Jason felt himself being dragged to the door.


End file.
